Forbidden Magic and Desires
by theELFandWITCH
Summary: What would you do when you found yourself falling in love? Would you hide your deepest secrets, if those secrets meant your death? Magic is forbidden, but yet, magic is their only salvation. ArthurxOC & MerlinxOC
1. Disclaimer

**First thing's first: we do not own **_**BBC's Merlin**_**.****And please, it is a BBC Show, not a Syfy television series even though Syfy is one of the few good American Channels. **

**And secondly: we own the rights to all of our characters (for example: Azura, Kadian and Larka), subplots, and how our characters affect the original plot; unless we specifically give the plots rights to someone else, which will be stated at the beginning of each chapter.**

Brief Summary:

_What would you do when you found yourself falling in love? Would you hide your deepest secrets, if those secrets meant your death? Would you say 'no' because of your title?_

_Magic may be forbidden from Camelot, but it still terroizes the city and its citizens. Princess Kadian, the sister of Prince Arthur, and Merlin must stop magic from consuming the city, but their friendship grows into more and it becomes harder and harder to realize that their love will never be approved; not even if it is true love._

_After the death of her brother and destruction of her home, Azura Lightwing, the princess of Luthrembel, finds herself living in Camelot as the King's ward. Her secrets, no matter how dangerous, cannot stop herself from her desire to be held in the prince's arms; and Arthur is willing to do much more than that. They may have their ups and downs, but true love surely prevails; but when one question is asked, can she live with hiding who she truly is?_

_The Great Dragon said that great emotions will open two doors and a choice must be made. Which door will be walked through?_

Warning! The first chapter is slow, what beginning of a story isn't? Please wait until after the second chapter, since both our OCs will be introduced by then, to deem this fiction unreadable.

This fiction is rated M for mature. There is explicit content, but mostly in later chapters. For example, there are LEMON scenes.

If you happen to have any questions while you are reading, we accept PMs and will answer your questions as much as we can. We won't give away key things that have yet to happen; that is like reading the last page of a book and ruining the ending. Also, we love suggestions.

Since we do not want our inbox filing with the same question, we will answer it hear and now. _How is it possible for Arthur Pendragon to have a sister?_ We, as far as we can tell, are the only ones that dared to tackle this obstacle. There is a legitimate reason behind this; there was some trickery on Nimueh's behalf. However, to find out more you have to read until Chapter 11 to find out exactly. There is much more behind it that we can write here.

And please, review when you finish a chapter; it will cause us to update faster. We accept constructive criticism, unless you are cussing at us in a non-joking way; that is just mean and cruel.

*****Check Our Profile For Links Leading To Images Of Characters And/Or Outfits*****

**Your's Truly,**

_**Twi and Raine**_


	2. Episode One: Silver and Gold

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_ **scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's _Merlin_, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is effected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

A crowd gathered at the base of a modest, grey marble castle set upon a lightly wooded grassland; it was approached by a short, paved road that trailed into the lower town where the over-sized population made their pittance of a living. Upon a high balcony overlooking the busy square stood King Uther and his court, gazing down at a haunting, wooded platform on which the executioner's block sat. A man was forced to kneel before the block and he stared frightfully at the king.

A stained-glass window opened toward the top of the eastern tower of the castle. The princess of Camelot peered out from her perch and watched as the square continued to blossom with life. Kadian recognized each villager that gazed up at the king, all except one: a young man with short, shaggy black hair. He carried a sack on his back and dark circles lingered beneath his navy eyes. His blue tunic was well worn from age and travel and around his neck he sported a ruffled, ruby red scarf that he was privilege to have. A small smile stretched her soft, pink lips as he gazed quizzically at the King.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all: this man, Thomas James Collins, is abet guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic," King Uther bellowed over the rattling of the drums. Beneath a pasty, white scar, his fierce, blue eyes scanned the gathered as he continued, "As pursuer to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair, just king, but for the crime of sorcery there is but one sentence I can pass."

The King nodded to the executioner who was garbed in black with a mask concealing his morbid face. He positioned himself to Thomas Collins' side and two of Uther's soldiers held the man tightly by the his scrawny arms; Thomas trembled and his heart beat madly as sweat trickled down the sides of his burning-red cheeks.

Every gaze in the square shifted to the executioner who lifted a large, deathly axe into the air. The sharpened blade glistened ironically in the yellow sunlight. Then with a squeal echoing on the crisp wind, it plunged to the chopping block. Kadian winced; scarlet blood oozed slowly down Thomas Collins' shoulders and pooled on the wood. Again the axe rose, its sharp blade smeared with thick blood. The young princess winced again as the blade plummeted to hack off the rest of the man's head; it lolled on the platform before it and its body went limp.

"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help, magic was driven from the realm." The King's voice was indifferent and seemed lost in the past until it returned to the present wit his next, bold and proud words, "So, I declare a festival, to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery." As he turned to retire into the council chamber, he added gaily, "Let the celebrations begin."

Kadian wiped her forehead; the image of beheading replayed in her mind. She could not understand why sorcery and magic was such a wrong, evil ability. Her father would never understand what magic was really meant to be used for; he was not gifted like some, like her.

At the hoarse cries of an old woman, Kadian gaze drifted over to the dispersing civilians. The King spun on his heels and scanned his eyes over his startled people. The people stepped away from a wrinkled, old hag as her cries grew louder and louder. Her grey hair was a rat's nest upon her temple and she wore brown, tattered rags for clothing. Her grief-stricken eyes, weary as they were, stared at the King fiercely. "There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic!" she sobbed and her shrivelled, pink-grey lips quivered over her words. "It is you with your hatred..." She paused and collected a shrill breath, "and ignorance."

She choked on her breath as she pointed to the mangled body of Thomas Collins. "You killed my son!" she sobbed; her eyes were glassy with her welling tears. The old woman took a deep, raucous breath and stepped toward the castle with fiery, vengeful eyes. "And I promise you: before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears." She paused; her eyes met the King's, burning through them until they reached his shrivelled heart that beat without a rhythm. She grinned, glinting her yellow, rotted teeth, and she spoke with her voice uncanny and vicious. "An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth..." She tilted her head and she grinned as the King's face flushed red when her words rolled over her old lips. "A son for a son!"

Kadian, astounded by the Mary Collins' words, leaned further out her window. Uther was angry; they all saw it in his raging eyes and red face. His voice was a low, outraged scowl. "Seize her!" Uther ordered and he pointed a gloved finger at Mary Collins.

Mary grabbed the glowing, amber pendant around her neck and hissed the forbidden words in what sounded like a wave of voices incanting an archaic language. As she looked sincerely at the King one last time, dust rose and twisted into a tornado around her weary form; she vanished before Uther's men could seize her.

Kadian turned and shut the window shakily; her sapphire blue eyes lingered over the square, watching as the peasants dispersed to their daily routines. Her heart raced in her chest as she recalled the witch's last words: _A son for a son_. The closest person to the princess was her elder brother, Arthur, and it pained her to visualize his merciless death by the hands of a revenge-thirsty, old witch.

She left her chamber silently and travelled through the vacant corridors until she stopped at a sealed door on the top of a spiralling staircase. Her hand rasped against the aged wood three times before it swung opened. A pale face curtained by curly, raven locks watched her from inside the chamber with relaxed, soft-green eyes.

"Kadian, I thought you would come," Morgana said softly and let Kadian into her chamber. The door shut soundlessly. Kadian smiled and took a seat in a chair by the desk on which a closed journal and a quill pen sat idle.

"Do you think that witch will keep true to her word and go after Arthur?" Kadian asked grimly and watched Morgana danced across the chamber; she shut and latched the window she had watched the execution from.

"I don't think she was lying," Morgana answered knowingly and combed her fingers through her silky hair. With a soft sigh, she looked up and down Kadian and said, "What are you wearing?"

Kadian stood and ran her hands down her clothes. She wore a cotton gown with an aged, faded blue corset; it looked to be something a maidservant would wear when tending to her mistress. "What's wrong with this?" she asked annoyed; she spun in a circle and let the frilled skirt rise into the air.

"What would the King say if he saw you dressing as a maid?" Morgana scowled and walked over to her cupboard, rummaging through her luxurious gowns for one to lend to Kadian.

Kadian laughed. "Like my father would care. He treats me like a maid, why not dress like one?" she retorted.

Morgana smiled and pulled a dress from the cupboard. She crossed the chamber to Kadian. "That doesn't matter. A princess should not parade around dressed as a maid. Show some self-respect," she said and held the gown up to Kadian's neck to see if it was long enough and would fit her thin, curvy figure. Without giving Kadian a chance to reply, she pushed her hastily behind to the screen and draped the dress over the top. "Now, get changed."

Sighing in defeat, Kadian lifted the dress she wore over her head and tossed it to the floor. She reached for the other gown, stepped into it, and pulled it up and over her breasts. Her fingers slid down the fine silk and ironed out the ruffles she had made. Kadian stepped from behind the screen and Morgana gaped at the transformation the princess underwent in such a short time. The brocade gown was seductive enough, cutting low across her chest, with thin, translucent sleeves. The teal fabric was woven with curlicues and brought out the deep colour of Kadian's eyes. Kadian's white-blonde hair fell to her middle back, pin-straight, and moved, as her head did like wisps of liquid gold. "I have self-respect," she spat and adjusted the top of the gown, "I... I never had a mother to teach me how to dress. That's why I need you, Morgana. I'd be lost without you."

Morgana stepped forward and embraced Kadian tightly. "I know," she replied sympathetically with her eyes swimming with her deep emotions, "but you should do these things for yourself. I'm not a maid."

Smiling graciously, Kadian bid Morgana farewell and departed from the chamber. She travelled down the staircase, crossed the wide, impressively decorated corridors, and emerged in the lowest level of the castle. There were two guards stationed at the beginning of a faintly-lit hall; there eyes did not meet the princess as she passed and continued to stand there in silence like they were sleeping with their eyes open. A door creaked open and revealed a second set of stairs leading downward into the earth, cloaked in throbbing, dark shadows. Kadian glanced over her shoulder and grabbed a blazing torch from the wall.

Then, she scaled down the steps into the dark abyss.

The orange flames licked up the wood and reached for the stonewalls. Its brilliant, amber glow illuminated a wide, rocky cavern when Kadian reached the end of the dark path. The torchlight only reached so far before darkness consumed it. From above, a faint ray a daylight seeped through the stone ceiling. "It's me, Kadian," she called and her soft voice rang throughout the cavern.

The sound of powerful wings flapping echoed off the cavern walls as a large figure descended to the pile of fallen rocks that sat across from the ledge on which Kadian stood. Kadian set her blue eyes on the Great Dragon, the last of his kind. His scales were the colour of raw gold and his large, jewelled gaze rested upon Kadian with the embers of the torchlight swimming in his irises. Two, white horns extended from his forehead and a row of sharp, white spikes lined his spine. The Great Dragon's membrane wings folded against his rigid sides and he lay on the rocks, crossing his front legs.

"Greetings, Princess Kadian," the dragon said, in a low voice that rumbled from his throat like thunder, "it is a pleasure to be in your midst again."

"The pleasure is all mine," Kadian replied softly with a smile. "You are a friend, not a prisoner to me."

The Great Dragon chuckled, a puff a grey smoke flaring from his nostrils, but the chuckled died away into the void in the cavern. "I sense that you are troubled," he stated wisely. "Tell me, what is haunting your delicate mind?"

Kadian sighed deeply and collected her raging thoughts. "A man was beheaded for using magic and his mother declared that she would avenge her son's demise by taking my brother's life. I-I'm scared for Arthur, Great Dragon," she explained with her eyes filling with sorrow as she imagined her brother being slaughtered. Her fear of the chopping block prevented her from saving her brother on her own; Uther would not hesitate to give the order, his hate for her was unrelenting.

The Great Dragon took a long moment to think and closed his golden eyes, letting his breaths grow deep. Then, he rose to his mighty, scaled paws. "I believe that it is unwise to linger over these troublesome thoughts, dear witch. In time, great emotions will open two doors in which a choice will be made, for better, or for worse." He paused and met her alluring gaze. He exhaled and a tiny spark of fire rolled off his barbed tongue. "There is a creature of the same religion as our own in Camelot. It would be wise to befriend him because it is not your destiny to save Arthur, but his," he said intelligently, pressing his rough snout softly against her forehead. "You must take your leave, Kadian, the deep caverns are not places for you to wander, even in you dizziest days."

"Thank you," Kadian smiled and beamed as the Great Dragon spread his huge wings and leaped into the air with one powerful thrust. She watched him rise into the air with the clanging of the chain around his leg ringing through the cavern. Once the golden dragon was out of sight, Kadian returned to the upper levels of the castle.

-x-

Prince Arthur sat at the chair to the right of the throne where a long table was placed horizontally in the front of the hall. He glanced up at the sound of Kadian soft footsteps against the marble floor as she entered. A smile was forced onto his face and she sat two seats away from him. His blue eyes, the same as her own, said that he was not afraid or even tainted by the words against his life. Neither of them spoke, there were no words to say. Everyone in the chamber stood as the door swung open and Uther walked it with his red cloak billowing in the air behind him.

The king sat on his throne chair and rested his red cloak over its arms. Kadian managed to put a smile on her face as did Arthur; it was uneasy sitting together, the three of them as a family. The guest retook their seats along the two long tables, which were perpendicular to the table of the royal family. Once everyone was settled, the servants brought in a variety of fruits and vegetables and set them on the tables, each specializing in their own shade of vibrant colour. The servants bowed to the royal family before hurrying from the chamber and to the kitchens to finish preparing the rest of the feast.

Kadian waited for her father to take a morsel before reaching for an apple. She bit into it, grinning as the juices poured into her pallet, and listened as the king and prince talked about Camelot's affairs. A swordsmen's tournament was approaching at the beginning of the next week, but Kadian thought that the threat on Arthur's life was more important. "Father..." Kadian began softly, placing the apple down on her napkin, "have the soldier's found that woman who threatened to kill my brother?"

Uther turned his attention from his son to his daughter. "Why have you interrupted?" he growled with his voice booming. The commotion from their guests ceased as all their gazes shifted up to the royal family.

"I'm sorry, _sire_, but I am concerned for my only brother's life," Kadian replied brazenly; her eyes locked gazes with the King and then, as she gritted her teeth, they trailed across Arthur's face until they rested on the tabletop. "Pardon me if I am wrong, but there are more important things to be concerned with than a mediocre tournament."

"I'd like to see that witch try," Arthur stated arrogantly, looking at his sister. He moved his blonde hair from his eyes. "If she ever did, I'd cut out her throat before she could even mutter an enchantment. You don't need to worry about me. I _am_ the prince. I can take care of myself."

Kadian's eyes rolled; she hated how her brother thought his was invincible, the greatest warrior in all the land on whom no one could land a single blow and that led him to be reckless and arrogant like Uther; but he was the lesser of two evils and looked at her as a princess, his sister. "I doubt that she'd be that ludicrous," she mumbled and averted his gaze.

The King's eyes narrowed as Arthur gritted his teeth. "Enough," the King said sternly, "Kadian, you are dismissed. You will go to your chambers."

The princess stood to her feet angrily; her rage was boiling her blood. Did he just order her around like a servant? With the urge to retort, she stormed from the chamber with her fingers curled into shaking fists. Her face burned red as she stomped up the steps to her chamber. She slammed the door shut behind her and collapsed onto her bed, her face cascading into her soft pillow. The way her father always treated her made her so angry that she felt her self-control slip to where she nearly used her forbidden magic; but she felt sad for herself for having to put up with this every day of her life. Things would be different if Kadian's mother was still alive. Maybe she would not have to hide her abilities from the public. Maybe she would be treated like an equal to her brother, or even Morgana. Her mother was dead and every day, that knowledge pained her.

Kadian moved her head to rest her right cheek was on the pillow and her enraged eyes viewed the twilight sky through her window. Slowly, the glass window pushed out and lay flat against the marble walls of the castle. A faint, cool wind soared into the chamber, pushing her hair from her face. Sighing, Kadian sat up and undressed herself and found a nightgown laying on the back of a chair. She slipped the nightgown over her head and casually walked over to the open window. Her blue eyes stared up at the slowly darkening sky as the browns and reds faded into midnight blues on which yellow orbs of light flickered like tiny flames. The words of the Great Dragon rang in her ears and she knew that he was right; she needed to find the other creature of magic that roamed Camelot, whomever he may be.

-x-

When the sun was gone and the moon was perched in its dark sky, a soft, mistrusted voice rang through the barren corridors of the palace. They reached Kadian's chamber and woke the princess enough so she heard them clearly.

"You know, the more brutal you are the more enemies you will create," Morgana breathed from where she stood, basking in the flickering torchlight that turned her pale-green eyes to brown.

-x-

In the wood, a mile or so away from Camelot, a woman hummed a beautiful song as she prepared to retire for the evening. A handful of Uther's men were stationed around her tent. The King awaited the woman's arrival; she was to sing during the final celebratory feast. Her eyes were on the hanging torch in front of her, her coffee irises reflecting the licking flames, as her delicate hands mingled with her dark locks, creating a braid that would trail down her back. A moan rose into the still night air, startling the singer and she called out, "Gregory?"

Eerie footsteps travelled at the edge of her tent and her heart began to race. Were they under attack? She watched as a dim shadow danced across the yellow tent. The tent flaps were pulled apart and a soldier, Gregory, poked his head inside. "Lady Helen?" he asked gently.

"Is all well?" the singer wondered. She met Gregory's gaze with scared, worried eyes.

"Yes ma'am," Gregory nodded assuringly with a kind smile. "With luck, we should reach Camelot in the morning."

"That's good," Lady Helen said and smiled in relief.

"I will be outside if you need me," Gregory stated. Lady Helen nodded and he stepped from the tent. She looked about her to reassure herself that there was no fear. She sighed softly and returned to grooming herself.

Outside, an spooky, hair-raising hiss rustled through the trees. Gregory gazed about the shadows and faint glow of the wood; he unsheathed his sword. He stepped forward, calling out into the darkness, "Who's there?"

There was no reply. A chill breeze howled through the wide, dark trees, rustling the leaves and shaking the long, curled tree limbs across the eye of the moon.

Lady Helen gazed at her reflection in the mirror in her right hand while the other combed through her dark bangs. As she groomed herself, she hummed the song that she would be performing for the King and his family. The horses squealed outside and the singer jumped, setting her dark eyes on the shadows cast on the tent. Only one shadow, hunched and malformed, danced across the yellow fabric; the others stayed stationary. Lady Helen rose to her feet as the shadow approached the tent entrance; she knew that it was not Gregory.

The tent flaps were pulled back. The shadow came to life as an old hag with knotted white hair and a wrinkled, scrunched up face that looked like frozen, melted wax. A row of yellow teeth glistened with the smile on the witch's face; she stepped closer to the singer who instinctively stepped back. The witch's lips formed the words of dark enchantments and she raised a hand; her wrinkled fingers grasped a straw doll. As the words left her throat, the witch stabbed the doll in the chest with a sharp, black pin. Lady Helen's breath escaped her lungs and her hands shot to her bosom. The hag drove the pin through the doll again, her maniacal smile growing.

Lady Helen collapsed onto the small bed - unmistakably dead.

Smiling in delight, the witch dropped the doll and took a seat before the bench where Lady Helen had been grooming herself. She grasped her amber pendant firmly and more forbidden enchantments rolled over her wrinkled lips like hisses. Her white hair thickened and changed to dark brown. The wrinkles on her scrunched face smoothed to fine, pale skin and her weary eyes formed those of Lady Helen. Her new hands skimmed the her new face. Grinning, she held up the mirror that Lady Helen had placed gently onto the desk. The reflection was not of Lady Helen's face, but that of the shrivelled old witch that sought retribution.

-x-

Kadian woke the next morning when the golden, shimmering dawn-light poured into her chamber. A yawn escaped her soft lips as she rose to her waking feet and disappeared behind the screen. She dressed in an alluring, ice blue gown that was covered with suns and moons; it was fit for a princess and one that she knew Morgana would approve of. After brushing her white-blonde hair, Kadian left her chamber and descended down the courtyard to take a stroll in the fresh, morning air.

The sun was blindingly bright and Kadian squinted as she stepped onto the luscious grass that was damp with the cold, morning dew. In the centre of the courtyard, she saw her brother and a handful of the men that Kadian could barely call Arthur's friends.

"Where _is_ the target?" one of Arthur's friends said obnoxiously.

"There," Arthur replied and motioned his head toward the large piece of wood that was carved into a circle and painted to form fields to score. "It's in the sun."

Standing nearest the to target was Arthur's scrawny servant whose tunic was too big for him and hung awkwardly on his narrow shoulders. His voice, shaky as it was, cracked as he said, "Sir, it isn't that bright."

Arthur laughed with a cocky grin curving his lips, "A bit like you, then." His blonde hair was thrown astray by the wind as it howled through the courtyard.

"Al right. I'll bring it 'round to the other side then, shall I, sire?" The servant replied civilly and placed the items he held on the ground. He lifted up the target and went to carry it to where it would not be hidden by the blinding sun. As the servant carried the target across the lively courtyard, Arthur turned to his friends and told them to watch; they snickered gleefully. The prince retrieved a dagger from his belt and, after positioning the hilt comfortably in his hand, he tossed it at the round target and his servant. The point of the dagger hit and stuck to the white ring around the red dot in the middle.

Startled by the pressure of the dagger, the servant lowered the target and looked at Arthur in a daze. "Hey, hang on!" the servant called with his soft voice cracking into different, horrible-sounding octaves.

Kadian sighed and frowned at her brother's cruelty toward his servant. The only reason he treated the boy like a pile of rubbish was because it was to make him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Her eyes rolled as she slowly proceeded around the courtyard, watching her brother as he laughed and threw several more daggers at the servant as the target was moved to be _out-of-the-sun_.

The target slipped from the servant's hand and it went spinning across the grass, running away from the rapid projectiles.

That was when she saw _him_: the strange man from the execution the previous day; the one she did not recognize among the crowd. Kadian stopped and watched as he stepped on the target and gazed down at the small servant who was scrambling after it.

Kadian thought that the way his deep, dark blue eyes shone in the sunlight was magical in their own way. She felt heat rush to her cheeks as his eyes swept across her face, lingering there for a moment before they shifted down to the scrawny servant and then, onto Arthur. "Hey, come on. That's enough," he said sternly, meeting the prince's bold, blue eyes.

"What?" Arthur asked like he had misheard the man.

"You've had your fun, my friend," the man replied and lifted his foot off the target to allow the servant to pick it up.

Arthur approached him quickly with an eyebrow raised and a voice tinted with annoyance. "Do I know you?"

Kadian cautiously approached the two, staying clearly out of Arthur's view as she fought the urge to laugh.

"I'm Merlin," the man said and extended his hand toward Arthur.

"So, I don't know you."

"No."

"Yet, you called me 'friend'?"

"That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so."

"Yeah. I would never have a friend who could be such an ass," Merlin retorted with a grin and he turned to walk away. Kadian put her hand to her pink lips to mask her laughing. It took a lot of guts to speak to Arthur in such a manor. Then, she realized, that Merlin probably had no clue who he was speaking to, and that thought made her giggle more.

Arthur chuckled slightly and replied, "Nor I, one who could be so stupid." He paused, hearing his friends snicker behind him. "Tell me, _Merlin_, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

Merlin spun around to face Arthur once more. "No," he stated through his grin, unfathomed by the harsh tone in Arthur's voice.

"Would you like me to help you?" Arthur asked snootily and tilted his head to the side.

"That wouldn't be a good idea if I were you," Merlin murmured. He caught Kadian's eye for a second before he returned his attention to Arthur.

"Why? What are you going to do to me?" Arthur laughed and stepped directly in front of Merlin with his grin stretching further across his chin. They were only inches apart, each in striking distance of the other.

Merlin took a small step back to widen the distance between them. "You have _no_ idea," he laughed; he shook his head slowly as a warning.

"Come on. Come on," Arthur taunted cockily and stepped back with his arms outstretched giving Merlin an opening to strike. "_Come on_." It was like Arthur knew that Merlin was going to throw a punch. The prince caught Merlin's arm and twisted it behind his back, into a single lock.

Kadian gasped softly at how quickly her brother reacted. Part of her wished that Merlin had actually hit him and forced him strut around the city with a big, nasty, black and blue eye.

"I'm gonna have you in jail for that," Arthur hissed, forcing Merlin's arm toward his opposite shoulder causing the rest of Merlin's body to curve to alleviate the stinging pain.

Merlin chuckled and gritted his teeth to endure the pain as he replied, "Who do you think you are? The King?"

"No. I'm his son, _Arthur_," Arthur retorted and added more pressure onto Merlin's arm, nearly pulling his shoulder from its socket. Merlin's knees buckled and her collapsed to the wet grass. The prince released Merlin's arm and let the guards take him down to the dungeons. He turned and lay his eyes on his younger, twin sister standing a couple feet behind him. Her head was shaking and he locked gazes with her disappointed scowl.

Kadian went up to her brother; his friends departed knowing that it was not in their interest to be around when the siblings fought. "How could you be such an ass?" she hissed and dealt him the death glare. Arthur would only tolerate her insulting him like that; she was his sister, he had grown up with it all his life. "He was just trying to help the boy, Arthur."

"He assaulted me," Arthur pointed out, holding his head high in his false pride.

She smacked him upside the head and pointed a thin finger at him when he reached back to rub his head. "Does it look like I care? I wish that he had, maybe it would've gotten through your thick skull that you aren't the only person who matters in this kingdom. Don't give me _that_ pathetic look! Father may support you, Arthur, but I don't and never will. You are next to rule Camelot, so start acting like a king instead of some spoiled prat," she growled fiercely. With that, she turned and returned into the palace, infuriated by her brother's selfish actions.

-x-

At first, she thought of going to the dungeons to release Merlin herself, but within ten minutes, she found herself rasping her hand against the door to the court physician's chamber. The door creaked open and a man with wavy, white hair, weary grey eyes and a wrinkled face welcomed her. "Good day, My Lady," Gaius greeted with a kind, warming smile, letting her pass him and enter his chamber. "What can I do for you?"

"A man, Merlin, was taken to the dungeons by my brother's accord. Is he your assistant? I swore I saw him a bit earlier giving Sir Olwin his daily medicine," Kadian replied, taking a seat on one of the many stools that were around the chamber. She glanced about the chamber, curious to know what lay in each of the thousands of phials that lined the shelves, inside the cupboards, and inscribed on the pages of the various books that lay open on the different benches.

Gaius put a hand on his head, cursing that Merlin had already done something to get into trouble. "Yes, he helps me a times. He's been here no more than a day and he's already got himself in prison. I swear, that boy has more problems than a pregnant nun. What interest have you in him?" He raised a white eyebrow.

"Anyone who stands up to my brother catches my attention, Gaius. It is a noble thing to do," Kadian answered softly and watched as he went around the room, collecting small phials of many different substances. "I'm going to set him free, but..." She paused and took a deep breath. "My father will make sure I hear it later if I do."

"Throw him in the stocks, maybe that'll be enough to get through to the boy," Gaius laughed, speaking unintentionally as he mixed a few substances together in a wooden bowl. He poured the substance into a phial and held it over a small flame, letting it boil until it changed colour

Kadian thought for a moment, resting her soft fingers on her chin as she stared up at the cobwebbed ceiling. "That's an excellent idea," she stated and jumped to her feet. "Thank you, Gaius. I'll see to it." Smiling at the physician, Kadian headed for the council chamber where her father normally was at this time of day.

-x-

The door was ajar and she walked in, curtsying and dipping her head slightly as the King saw her. "Father, a man was put in the dungeons at Arthur's request..." she began delicately as she felt his stare beating against her, but his hand waved to silence her.

"I am aware, Kadian. I cannot believe that anyone would be so naive to assault my son," Uther stated grimly from where he sat at the head of the table; his voice sounded like Merlin had mortally wounded Arthur. "Why has it brought to me?"

"Merlin didn't assault anybody, My Lord. Arthur taunted him into throwing a blow; he _asked_ for it. Father, please. Don't let him rot in the dungeons for ages," Kadian said pleadingly as she stepped closer to her father with a sad expression and her eyes glistening.

Uther rose to his feet, momentarily weakened by her sad expression, and towered over his daughter. "If you think you know best, what should this _Merlin_ be sentenced to? A hanging?" he asked gravely, gazing down at his daughter with disgruntled eyes.

"No, not a hanging, sire. The stocks would be a better fit, I think. He would receive what he wished Arthur," Kadian replied without flinching as his hawk-like eyes stared at her as if she was a piece of prey, a worthless thing he could take up in his sharp talons.

Uther pondered the thought. Not only did Merlin attempt to humiliate his son, but also doing so would have brought embarrassment upon himself, his entire kingdom. As her father contemplated her suggestion, her eyes beamed at his crown, wondering where the rest of it was because it was only a sleek gold ring wrapped around his grey hair, studded with dim diamonds.

"Very well," Uther said dubiously, startling Kadian's attention back to what they were discussing. "Tell the guards that the boy's punishment is to be left in the stocks for four hours. The sentence shall suffice. Now, get out of my sight, you..." He drifted off and did not continue his sentence.

Bowing her head slightly, Kadian rushed out of the chamber, again feeling like a maid in a pretty dress.

-x-

Her feet carried her to the dungeons where she told the guards her father's demands. She led the way down the stairs and called Merlin's name once she reached the bottom. He replied to his name and Kadian stood before the steel bars. "You are lucky that I believe my brother needs to see some sense. I am Kadian. Guards, unlock the door," she said and stepped away from the bars as the guard moved forward to unlock the door.

"Thank you, My Lady," Merlin smiled, bowing his head slightly. The guards grabbed him by the arms and pulled him from the cell.

Kadian felt heat rush to her cheeks by the way he address her so formally like few did since they saw the way Uther spoke and treated her. She turned away, embarrassed. "It was nothing. You will be placed in the stocks, however. Gaius is very disappointed in you, I thought I might add. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined in the merriment. I'll see you 'round... _Merlin_," she said softly and she walked up the stairs and out of sight.

-x-

Around midday, Kadian was summoned to the throne hall. The wide hall was furnished well along the walls and the tall, stained glass windows were cloaked by Pendragon-red curtains that shifted as the doors the hall were pushed open.

The King stood to her left, garbed in a maroon tunic with his cloak dangling off his shoulders; Arthur stood to Uther's right with his head high and his eyes beaming; and Morgana next to Kadian her soft, docile hands folded behind her back. The singer whom was to perform at the night's feast had finally arrived in Camelot after days of waiting. Kadian could not grasp why her father wanted to hear this woman sing, but she held her tongue and let a kind smile curve her soft-pink lips.

Lady Helen entered the chamber, sauntering as she approached, and wore a metallic purple gown with a gathered skirt and wisps of pale-blue slashing the purple damask; two, weary guards were at her sides. A large, gay smile stretched across Uther's face and he stepped forward to greet her. "Lady Helen, thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations," he said warmly with open arms that fell back to his sides when she was before him.

She curtsied as she replied gratefully, "The pleasure is all mine."

"How was your journey?" Uther asked politely.

She sighed and answered as he lifted her hands and kissed them softly, "The time it took, sire."

"Well, it'll be worth the wait," Uther replied assuringly and gently dropped her hands.

"It will be," Lady Helen stated surreptitiously; she was playing with her amber pendant that rested against her bosom.

Kadian watched her suspiciously, eyeing the amber-stone pendant that mingled with the lady's long fingers. There was something about Lady Helen that gave Kadian a weird vibe, an odd presence that lingered around her like a ghoul. It was the way she looked at Uther, too sincere and with the hint vengeance lurking behind her coffee eyes . With her suspicions aside, she, Arthur and Morgana stepped forward in turn to give Lady Helen their own greetings. Arthur was first and Kadian saw Helen's eyes beam like she had found a large diamond lying idly in the road.

Once Arthur stepped back with a fake smile, Kadian stepped forward as Uther introduced her. "This is my daughter, Princess Kadian," he introduced, letting only a small hint of darkness into his voice.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Helen. I cannot _wait_ to hear you sing; I've been looking forward to it ever since my father sent the word that you were coming," Kadian smiled falsely as she noticeably lied through her teeth.

Lady Helen smiled brightly and curtsied, keeping her eyes away from Kadian's stare. "You are most kind," she said shyly.

Kadian stepped back; there was nothing else she wished to say with giving away her rattling suspicions. Morgana was introduced by the King warmly, like she was his true daughter; Kadian fought to hide the heat the burned her cheeks. Morgana spoke with a soft, slow voice where her true feelings were expressed freely. Then, the ward stepped back and joined Kadian in standing in silence as the King accompanied Lady Helen from the chamber.

Once the King and Helen were out of sight, Kadian sighed relieved and spoke softly, "I honestly don't see why we all had to greet her. It isn't like she's the princess of Luthrembel. We would enjoy Azura being here."

Arthur's face flushed pink and he ran a hand through his blonde hair, messing it slightly, as he stared up at the shadowed ceiling. His head shook the colour away and Morgana raised an eyebrow as the prince left the chamber with silent steps. Kadian smiled, "He fancies her... a lot."

Morgana giggled. "I never thought I'd hear those words." She paused and searched through Kadian's eyes until she spoke again, her voice quizzical, "Enough of Arthur. What's with the man that you freed from the dungeons? The one that's in the stocks."

"Morgana!" Kadian scowled, walking out of the chamber with the ward at her heels. "He back-talked my brother. I think Merlin deserves better than to be shut away in the damp dungeons for all eternity. And besides, I don't even know him." She shook the blush form her cheeks, but the colour quickly returned.

Morgana's head shook at Kadian's reply; she was not daft like some. "Well, get to know him then. There aren't many men that will stand up to Arthur. Merlin's one-of-a-kind. You shouldn't let him go to waste."

Kadian narrowed her eyes. "I'll talk to you later," she said sharply and headed for the exit, where she would start for the lower town.

"Don't deny it, Kadian," Morgana called after her.

"_Good-bye, Morgana_!"

-x-

The sun was beaming brightly from its high perch and blinded Kadian as she stepped into the wild streets that she knew so well. The princess walked in silence, occasionally smiling at a child that ran passed with his/her parents following not too far behind. She thought about doing her rounds, which were to see how the trading and the market was, whether there was a low or a boom. Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder and she turned to see her brother and friends behind her, snickering like a band of dames. "Arthur, what do you want?" she hissed and turned away disgusted.

"Can't your only brother say 'hello' to his little sister?" Arthur laughed, pinching her cheek as if she was six.

Kadian swatted his hand away and glared at him. "We're the same age," she growled, "and, haven't I dealt with you enough today? Can't you just take your little mongrels and jump off a cliff?"

"You're very funny, Kadian," Arthur laughed with his friends echoing him. His blue eyes looked passed her and trailed over to where someone walked by. His voice was heavy with laughter as he said, "How's your knee-walking coming along?"

Kadian turned and saw Merlin approaching with his hands tucked away in his pockets and his eyes to the toes of his boots that were mud-stained. He did not acknowledge Arthur's words and continued onward.

"Oh, don't run away!" Arthur called after him and stepped toward the man who wore a brown jacket and an old, red tunic with a ruffled and tattered, blue scarf around his neck. He had just been released from the stocks and was heading to wherever he lived to wash away the remnants of the rotted food that he had been pelted with.

"Why can't you just leave him alone?" Kadian snapped and walked after her brother.

"From you?" Merlin retorted, trying to hold his anger back, as he stopped and faced Arthur. There were tomato seeds riddled in his hair, but no one cared to address it.

Arthur sighed. "Thank god. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb," he joked in fake relief.

"_Arthur_!" Kadian exclaimed, but he ignored her again and she clenched a fist at her side.

Merlin shook his head and raised his blue gaze to stare at Arthur. "Look, I told you that you're an ass. I didn't realize that you were a royal one."

Kadian laughed slightly; she agreed with him. Arthur exchanged glances with his friends as he was taken aback by Merlin's words like a sword through the chest.

"Oh? What are you going to do? You got your _daddy's_ men to protect you?" Merlin continued, referring to the guards that watched from the positions in the town, and winked at Kadian quickly when Arthur was not looking.

Arthur laughed and stepped closer to Merlin, nearly face to face. Merlin winced at the heat of Arthur's breath against his face; this closeness was uncomfortable. "I can take you apart with one blow," Arthur stated. Kadian's eyes rolled: probably not.

"I can take you apart with less than that," Merlin grinned.

_Less than one blow?_ Kadian thought and tilted her head slightly. He was not stupid enough to use magic, was he?

Arthur looked at Merlin strangely. "You sure?" he asked curiously.

Merlin did not speak and slid his arms out of his brown jacket, tossing it aside to prevent it from getting dirty or torn.

Arthur and his friends laughed as they exchanged glances. Kadian scoffed and walked around her brother and stood to the right of the entire group to be an outside observer of the action. Arthur was handed a mace and he tossed it to Merlin, who flinched and failed to catch it. He bent down and picked the mace up as Arthur was handed a second mace. They looked at each like they were two opposite sides of a war in the silence before battle.

"Come on then," Arthur said and spun the spiked sphere above his head, "I'm warning you. I've been trained to kill since birth."

"Wow," Merlin replied, pretending to be amazed as he fumbled with the mace. He stared at Arthur with a faint grin as he asked, "and how long have you been training to be a prat?"

Arthur laughed again, glancing at his friends and then at Kadian, who rolled her eyes. "You can't address me like that," he said and shook his head in disbelief that Merlin could be so naive.

"Sorry," Merlin chuckled; he paused and bowed slightly as he continued, "how long have you been training to be a prat, _my lord_."

Arthur swung the mace at Merlin's head. Merlin ducked and stumbled back in surprise while spinning the mace sloppily. He had never wielded a weapon before in his entire life. Arthur stalked forward, spinning the weapon above his head and preparing to strike again. The prince jumped up on a table, slowly approaching Merlin with cautious, yet confident, steps, and continued to taunt his opponent. Sighing, Kadian followed her brother and Merlin. Why did every fight that two men got into always ended up in a brawl?

Merlin's eyes never left Arthur as he continued moving back. Unfortunately, being ever so skilled in mace fighting, Merlin lost his weapon to a woven basket that was hanging up behind him. He swerved to the right to avoid Arthur's next attack. All he could accomplish was moving out of the way to avoid being stricken by the sharp spikes. Merlin fell back against a vegetable stand and rolled backwards, over his shoulder, as he saw Arthur charging in with another blow. The mace squashed an eggplant, which exploded over the wood, and Arthur jumped over the stand to chase after Merlin. Kadian lifted up her skirt and ran after them as they entered a shaded area of the market. Merlin fell back against a pile of grain sacks and gazed up at Arthur as he continued his assault.

Arthur stood before him, wielding the mace at his side, slowly twirling the weapon. Kadian watched as Merlin planned his next moved. She watched curiously as he stared intensely at the hooks behind Arthur's mace. The hooks came together and the chain of the mace wrapped around the steel tightly. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Merlin jumped to his feet and cautiously walked backwards with his blue eyes on Arthur who had unravelled his mace from the hooks hastily. He looked around and glanced at a wooden crate by Arthur's foot. It slid out just as Arthur stepped and his foot pressed down on an exposed nail. "_Ow!_" Arthur groaned and kicked the crate out of his way.

Merlin dove behind a stand and Arthur's mace smashed against an assortment of eggs. He peered around the corner of the stand at the pile of rope to Arthur's right. His eyes flashed gold and the rope extended outward, causing the prince to trip and fall forward. Kadian laughed with those around her at her brother's clumsiness, even though she knew it was actually Merlin's offensive.

Merlin rose to his feet and grabbed the mace that Arthur had dropped when he had fallen. He spun it at his side as the prince stumbled to his feet, gazing at the mace as it spun around and around. The mace lunged forward and Arthur dodged. "Do you want to give up?" Merlin shouted over the murmurs of the crowd.

"Do you?" Arthur replied as the mace swung forward again; he stepped out of the way.

Kadian saw Merlin's eyes divert to someone in the crowd and she turned to see he was staring at the disgruntled face of Gaius. Taking the distraction to his advantage, Arthur walked quickly around Merlin and grabbed hold of a broom that leaned against the wall. The broom's staff slammed against Merlin's leg. Merlin stumbled forward and turned, only to be jabbed in the stomach and beaten to the ground; the mace escaped from his grasp.

Arthur gazed down at Merlin with triumph written all over his handsome face. He spun the broom in his hand before placing the hay on the ground and sweeping Merlin out onto the street.

Two of Uther's soldiers reached down and pulled Merlin up by the arms. "Wait, let him go," Arthur said suddenly; the soldiers released their grasp on Merlin's arms, letting him fall to his knees. Arthur continued with something strange tainted his voice, "He may be an idiot, but he is a brave one at that." He stood beside Merlin and stared down at him as if he was contemplating the meaning of life.

"There's something about you, Merlin. I just can't put my finger on it." With that, Arthur left the market with the guards and his snickering friends. The villagers who had stopped to watch went back to their mingling. Kadian, however, went up to Merlin and stared blankly at him, examining him from head to toe.

"What?" Merlin asked concerned as she examined him. "Are you going to rub my defeat in my face, now that you're ass of a brother is gone?"

"How did you do that?" Kadian whispered softly, meeting his dark gaze.

His eyes widened, nearly bugging out of their sockets. "I don't know what you're talking about..." he mumbled.

Kadian grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "I know you used magic," she whispered in his ear. "I saw you do it. You're eyes glowed gold."

"I don't..." Merlin pressed, sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Don't pretend that you don't know," Kadian snapped; she took a deep breath and lowered her voice even more with her heart beating rapidly in her chest. "Besides, my eyes glow silver."

"What?" Merlin gasped and choked on his breath. He took her gently by the arm and brought her through the busy crowd and to the physician's chamber where he threw open the door and gazed around, relieved that Gaius had yet to return.

Merlin spun and stared into Kadian's eyes that were the same, bold blue as her brother's. "What do you mean by 'my eyes glow silver'?" he asked lowly.

"What I mean is..." Kadian went to say, but her heart leapt as the door swung open and clashed heavily with the wall.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH?" Gaius shouted angrily without realizing Kadian was standing there before Merlin. "Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good, not idiotic pranks... Oh... Princess, I didn't see you..."

Kadian smiled and turned her eyes onto Gaius. "It's al right, I'm not going to tell anyone. You have my word, both of you," she said assuringly and exchanged looks with both of them. "If I turn Merlin in, I might as well turn myself in as well." Before either of them could reply, one of Gaius' texts rose off the table and soared into Kadian's arms. Merlin watched as her irises turned silver as the book moved from one place to the next and then faded back to their sapphire-blue shade. "If Uther _ever_ found out... I don't know what I'd do."

Merlin was speechless, it was like his heart had stopped dead in its never-ending rhythm. Gaius, on the other hand, shook his head and turned to the work he had left unfinished on his workbench.

Kadian snapped her fingers before Merlin's face and sighed deeply. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Merlin. This isn't something you are not accustomed to. I may be related to Arthur, but I am not dense like he or my father." She was looking at the physician now who had his back to her. Her eyes trailed over to Merlin, meeting his confused stare. "If you could spare the time, Merlin, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Merlin turned to Gaius who turned only slightly to give him a nod; the physician's eyes were cold and his expression read like he had failed to keep the inevitable from happening. "Just take this to Lady Helen before you go, she needs it for her voice." His voice was mono-toned and did not falter as he reached across his workbench and grasp a small phial. He placed firmly it into Merlin's outstretched palm. "Be back before sun down," was all the physician said before he returned to work, relighting a small flame on the tall candle's wick.

Merlin nodded and Kadian followed him from the chamber, receiving as strange look from Gaius, who seemed to know who she was bring Merlin to see.

-x-

They climbed the marble staircase to the second floor, where many of the guests' chambers were, and Kadian showed Merlin where Lady Helen's chamber was in the shadows of a long corridor. He slowly pushed the door inward; the singer was not in.

Cautiously, they entered the vacant room, glancing about in curiosity. A handful of candles were lit on candelabras around the chamber, flickering amber in unison against the dark shadows. Merlin went over to the single desk and placed the phial down before the large gilt mirror. He skimmed his fingertips across the objects that were scattered on top of the desk and picked up a straw doll. He held it up for Kadian to see. "What do you think this is?" he wondered, eyeing it curiously as the candlelight danced across the pale straw

"Perhaps she's lonely," Kadian mumbled and stepping closer to get a better look. In the centre of the doll's chest was a tiny, puncture wound. "Looks as if it has been punctured through the heart with a pin. What if it's..."

Merlin tossed the doll back on the desk; his heart was racing and he pulled Kadian toward him. The door swung open and the Lady Helen walked in. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them standing side-by-side. "What are you doing in here?" she asked hastily, looking from Merlin to Kadian with her coffee eyes wide.

Merlin swiped the phial that Gaius had given him from the desktop and handed it to Lady Helen. "I was told to give this to you; it'll help with your preparations for tonight," he mumbled rapidly, trying his hardest to sound convincing that neither of them had rummaged through her things.

Lady Helen nodded hesitantly and looked passed the two of them, at the mirror. Panic rose into her eyes and her attention whipped back to Merlin and Kadian, who had raised eyebrows by her sudden change in complexion. "Yes, thank you. Now, please, be on your way," she said; she was trembling as she stepped out of the way to the door.

Merlin folded his hand around Kadian's and pulled her out the chamber; the door slammed behind them. Kadian turned, pulling her hand from his, and her cheeks flushed with crimson. Merlin averted her gaze and he too blushed. It took a moment to let the nervous, fluttering butterflies fly away, and when Kadian's heart returned to a normal rhythm, she spoke softly with her embarrassment lingering in her soft voice, "I knew there was a reason why I didn't like her. What if that doll has something to do with magic?"

"Why would a singer have a magical object, especially in Camelot?" Merlin replied; he met her blue eyes and he felt like he was drowning in the way they stared back at him. "It's too much of a risk."

"Maybe someone who wants my brother dead," Kadian muttered lowly and moved her gaze to the floor. "Come on, we shouldn't stay here." She walked beside him and down the steps to the dungeons.

-x-

Two guards were sitting at a square table, placing an intense game of dice. Kadian thought for a moment, hoping to think of a way to slip passed them unseen; the dice flew off the table and down the hall before she could come up with anything. The guards rose to their feet and chased after their dice.

She looked at Merlin and shook her head at his ineptness to restrain from magic. "This way," she whispered and walked down the hall to sealed door that lay in dreary, grey shadows. The door swung open, creaking on its ancient hinges, and collided with the rock with a hollow _thud_.

Kadian motioned for Merlin to grab the blazing torch on the wall. He did as she requested and led the way down the stone steps and into the dark abyss at the bottom.

The only sounds echoing in the dark tunnel were their footsteps and the crackling embers of the torch. Merlin glanced over her shoulder at Kadian, hoping that she would give him some insight about where this stone corridor led to; however, she kept silent and gazed ahead with a small smile. The stonewalls parted and Merlin stepped onto a wide ledge inside a dark, mysterious cavern where the only glow came from the whipping tongues of the torch.

Kadian stopped directly behind him. "We are here," she said to Merlin and the darkness of the cavern.

"Where is 'here'?" Merlin asked; he gazed out at the hanging rocks and the throne of stone that stood before the ledge. Brilliant, amber light danced across the stones like it was its own, live and dancing being.

"In the caves beneath the castle," Kadian whispered, gazing at the cave and the soft echo of rattling steel.

"Why..." Merlin drifted off as he heard a large _whooshing_ coming from above him. He gazed wondrously at a large figure that moved through the darkness above them, rapidly descending toward the ground where they stood. The Great Dragon landed on the pile of rocks before the ledge, setting his golden eyes on Kadian and Merlin. He seemed pleasured to have visitors and his large lips grinned.

"Welcome, Merlin, Kadian," the dragon greeted, flexing his massive, gold wings before folding them tightly against his sides as he sat upon his throne of stones. Merlin beamed at the last dragon in Albion, a sight which few would ever see. Just the sight of the beast's golden scales glistening in the Titian firelight was enough to make even the darkest of creatures stop and stare in awe.

Kadian knew by the way the dragon gazed at them that he would ask her to leave and she turned to Merlin. "I'll be just upstairs," she said softly and climbed back up the shadowed steps without a torch to guide her way. She was curious to hear what the dragon was going to say to him, but what ever it was, it was not meant for her ears.

So, she stood by the door, keeping watch for any of Uther's men that patrolled the dungeons. No one was around, she could not hear any footsteps echoing through the hall. Kadian recalled what the Great Dragon had said to her, about how great emotions will open two doors and only one could be walked through. What did he mean by that? Then, he had spoke to her about befriending Merlin. Would their friendship grow into something else? Only the dragon would know.

Her head shook those thoughts from her mind and crossed her arms at her chest. The Great Dragon always spoke in riddles, rarely giving a straight, direct answer to anyone's questions. Of course, no person could know his/her own destiny, because there would not be much fun in life to know what was in store.

-x-

After a matter of ten, silent minutes, Merlin emerged from the dark tunnel with the torch in hand and looked at Kadian. His eyes said that he was still amazed that he had spoke to the last dragon in Albion. He placed the torch in its holder and they began to walk back up to the main floor. Luckily for them, the guards were still trying to find their dice. "So," Kadian said abruptly, breaking the silence between them, "what did he say?"

"He said... he said that I was to help Arthur on the way to being the greatest king Albion will ever have," Merlin replied, chuckling as he spoke.

"Good luck with that. My brother can't even dress himself," Kadian grinned as they reached the main floor.

"What did he said to you?" Merlin wondered and stopped in front of her; he knew that this was where they would have to part ways.

Kadian thought about how she was to word what the Great Dragon had said. "He didn't say what my destiny was, but he sort prophesied that powerful _feelings_ will open two doors and a choice will be made, something like that," she explained and eluded his alluring gaze, fighting the urge to blush. "He's always spoke in annoying riddles."

"I can see that," Merlin mumbled agreeing. He looked out the closed window; the sun was nearly set and the sky was cast in wondrous crimson-red and tangerine-orange like the horizon had been set ablaze. Neither of them had realized how fast the time flew by. "Do you think that Lady Helen is that witch from the square?" Merlin's voice was dark and uncanny like he was in deep thought.

Kadian nodded. "I do, but we cannot be certain. All we must do is keep our senses sharp in case she tries anything tonight at the feast," she answered; her eyes fell onto the side of his hard face and she did not fight the heat that raced to her soft cheeks. "'Til then, my friend."

Without saying another word, Kadian turned and departed down the corridor; Merlin was left to watch her saunter away until she was out of sight. Why had the Great Dragon told Merlin about parts of his destiny while all she received was a riddled prophecy? Perhaps, she wondered, knowledge was a gift that could not be returned.

-x-

The sky grew dark and only thin wisps of orange tainted the navy sky. The guests of the king had gathered in the dining hall to listen to the Lady Helen sing before they were to feast on the most delectable of foods of the kingdom. Uther sat at the centre of the royal family's table with Arthur on his right and Kadian and Morgana to his left.

Kadian had freshened up to make herself more presentable around her father and looked just as stunning as Morgana in her ice-blue gown. She saw Merlin standing in the doorway closest to her brother and winked at him inconspicuously as her father stood to address those gathered among them. "We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare to introducing Lady Helen of Mora," he said proudly, swinging an arm toward the far end of the chamber. He took a seat, setting his red cloak on the arms of the chair, as Lady Helen entered the room in a magnificent golden gown with a thin layer of pale blue damask at her hips billowing in the air behind her.

Her majestic voice rang through the silent room filling their ears with the most unique choices of lyrics. Lady Helen stepped off her stage and slowly moved forward, singing beautifully like she had a voice of an angel.

The lit candles were blown out. The chamber was illuminated with the ominous blue-silver light of the slowly ascending moon.

Kadian's eyes started to feel heavy as all those in the chamber. but it was too late; she had heard too much and was unable to cover her ears quick enough.

Merlin instantly covered his ears as head after head hung down on the guests' necks.

Kadian's eyelids slowly began to seal away the sight of cobwebs appearing over all of the guests and her family. Then, it all went black.

The crashing of the chandelier snapped everyone from his or her forced slumber. Kadian's eyes moved onto Merlin, wondering if he had caused the chandelier to fall. Slowly, her blue eyes shifted over to the fallen chandelier where she saw the withered figure of the old hag lying beneath it. Mary Collins pushed off the ground and set the darkest, nastiest stare upon Arthur that made shivers run up and down her spine. In the witch's hand was a sharp, deathly silver dagger. With a powerful thrust of her arm, the witch threw the dagger toward the dazed prince.

Merlin ran forward and took Arthur by the shoulders, pulling him out of the way of the flying dagger. Splinters of wood shot into the air as the blade pierced the back of the chair where Arthur's heart had been only seconds prior. With one last, upset and defeated breath, the old hag died in agony, unable to fulfil her hair-raising words from the morning of her son's execution.

Uther stood shocked with his eyes wide and his mouth a gaping hole on his face. His grey-riddled, brown hair was on end and his crown seemed to be dull as he turned to Merlin who stood quickly and helped Arthur to his feet. "You saved my boy's life," said the King gratefully and stepped toward Merlin and his son; Arthur stared at Merlin in disbelief. "A debt must be paid."

Merlin smiled weakly and stepped from behind Arthur. "Well... um..." he mumbled, unsure about what to say. "There's no need..."

"Don't be so modest. You will be rewarded," Uther stated pressingly.

"There's no need, Your Highness," Merlin replied without meeting the King's dark stare.

"No, absolutely," Uther pressed further. "It merits something quite special."

"Well," Merlin said with a shrug. What harm could a reward be?

"You shall be reward a position in the royal household: you shall be Prince Arthur manservant," the king rewarded proudly. He walked passed his son and Merlin to inspect the body of the old woman.

Arthur and Merlin exchanged glances; the prince was outraged with his father's _reward _and Kadian could see the rage burning his cheeks. Kadian, along with everyone in the chamber, stood and applauded Merlin on his noble accomplishment of saving Arthur from certain peril. Merlin turned to Kadian and shot her a please-save-me look; but her head shook as her shoulders rose up and down.

Uther's men removed the old woman's body and the festivities continued like nothing had ever happened. The marvellous food on the tabletops was barely touched and soon the tables were moved against the wall.

A quartet stepped into the room and began to play a merry jingle that filled the chamber with life. Many pairs began to dance to the soft waltzes that the string-players played with fifes and flutes whistling in the gay air. Morgana was asked to dance by one of Arthur's friends and she graciously accepted with a flirtatious smile.

Arthur sat in his seat with his arms crossed at his chest, clearly not amused that Merlin had replaced his recently sacked servant. Though, as he sat, watching eyes could tell that he wished that there was a woman at the feast that he wanted to dance with; only, she was not in Camelot, but in a far off palace.

Kadian watched as the many different coloured skirts spun around in the air as the women danced with their partners. Kadian sighed, if only she could be up there with someone. There was a soft tap on her shoulder and she gazed up to her right. Merlin was standing there with a hand outstretched toward her. "May I have this dance?" he asked kindly with a bright smile and beaming eyes that swam in the illuminating torchlight.

Kadian smiled and took his hand, rising to her feet. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Arthur grunt and roll his eyes. That sight brightened her smile even more. "Don't mind him, he's just jealous that he doesn't get to dance with the girl he wants," Kadian stated as she placed her hands on Merlin's shoulders while his gently rested on her hips.

"Heh, I doubt she'd dance with him anyway," Merlin commented with a smile, feeling heat rushing to his cheeks. "Does it feel awkward, dancing with you brother's servant?"

"Merlin, I really don't care if you're my brother's servant or not," Kadian said softly as he spun her around, "just that it's you I'm dancing with and not some idiot."

Merlin smiled; that was the first compliment that he had received since he arrived in Camelot. They danced until the quartet stopped playing; their hearts beating with the heavy hum of the bass. Everything seemed to just melt away when they were there, dancing together in each other's arms. Perhaps there was more to what the Great Dragon said, something far greater than friendship to come.

-x-

The next morning came quickly with the dawn light slowly lightening to a soft blue as the sun rose to it perch. A young woman raced through the halls with her blonde hair billowing in the air behind her. Her long legs carried her down the corridor quicker that one could ever imagine; but she was stopped as a tall, dark-haired man stepped from around the corner, catching her by the shoulders. "What's the rush?" he asked warmly and tucked her soft hair behind her ears.

"I can't find mother's armlet," she sighed as her shoulders sank. She pouted when she spoke again, her voice soft and sweet. "I wanted to wear it when we arrived."

The man reached into his pocket and held a small, gold band before her. "This?" he asked with a bright smile.

She snatched it quickly from his hand. "Where did you find it?" she gasped and clasped with around her right arm. It shined brilliantly against her fair, flawless skin.

"The library," he replied.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, running a soft hand through her hair in embarrassment. "I should have known, I was reading a wonderful novel yesterday and must have forgotten that I had taken it off."

The man rolled his eyes and guided the woman toward the council chamber where King William of Luthrembel waited. The king was elderly; his hair had greyed many moons ago and was starting to change into snow-white. There was a scar across his left eye from an old wound that had left him blind for a short period of time. He stepped toward the two with open arms, first embracing the woman. "Be safe, my dear," he said gently and kissed the top of her head.

The king turned to his son, the prince of Luthrembel, who looked like he had in his youth. "Best of luck, my son," he said, shaking firm hands with the prince before embracing his strongly. "Keep the Pendragon-boy away from your sister, you understand?" he whispered in his ear before stepping away to take in the sight of his children once more.

The prince nodded and took his sister by the hand. He led the way through the magnificent palace and to the saddled horses that waited to take them on their long journey to Camelot.

_**Next time on ****Forbidden Magic and Desires:**_

_**The people of Camelot are in a merry mood as the city prepares for the annual swordsmen tournament, featuring the returning champion, Arthur Pendragon, and the well-known prince of Luthrembel. However, dark magic lurks within the competitors, striking down the noblest of swordsmen at a time of sadness. Will Arthur be able to defend his champion title while his eyes are always on the hourglass shape of a childhood friend?**_


	3. Episode Two: Champion

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is effected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

Two days and two nights passed through Camelot and throughout those days, Kadian watched Merlin humiliate himself as Prince Arthur's manservant. He was not terrible, anyone with half a brain could clean up after Arthur and muck out the stables, but Arthur made Merlin's job miserable, giving him order after order and sending him running through the palace.

A cheerful horn rang through the streets of Camelot and the corridors of the palace, signalling that the first of the competitors for the annual swordsmen's tournament had arrived. Kadian looked up from her desk as the loud sound pierced through the stone walls of her chamber. With her heart leaping from her chest, she ran from her chamber and into Morgana's chamber where the ward had risen to her feet, startled by the suddenness of the horn. "What is it?" the ward asked shakily and turning, setting her pale green eyes on the princess. She placed the comb in her hand down on her neatly organized desk.

"Come with me, Morgana. You do not want to miss this," Kadian replied with a bright, gay smile and she took Morgana by the wrist. She pulled her through the lively corridors, to the throne hall.

-x-

Uther turned his head as they entered the chamber from the passage to the left. He nodded stiffly and allowed them to take their places at his left to welcome the first of their guests; Arthur was already present and stood stiff as a board to the left of the King.

The large, oak doors swung inward and the posted guards let through a man and a young woman. Both were weary and dark circles lurked beneath their light-blue eyes which glimmered like bright aquamarines in the sunlight that seep through the large stained-glass windows. The man was much older than the woman and was in his late twenties. His hair contrasted the brightness of his eyes and was near-black, falling straight to his ears. He was fairly tall and had huge, broad shoulders and a flat, muscular chest.

The woman wore a seductive gown that was of ivory silk. Embroidered in gold at the bottom of the gown were curlicues that were studded with what seemed to be glittering diamonds. It was sleeveless and the top part of the gown was cut low at her chest, revealing that she had a full chest which few women where gifted; Arthur, undoubtedly, took notice to the generous feature very quickly. Clasped to her right arm was a single, gold armlet that shined brightly. Her hair was of many different shades of blonde that tumbled onto her narrow shoulders pin-straight, though there were few strands that curled inward. She was much younger than the man, her brother, and held nineteen years to her name.

Together, the man and woman shared similar, dramatized features in their slightly elevated cheek bones, toned, crisp muscles (hers were not as pronounced as his), and an elegant stature that anyone would envy.

Kadian nudged her elbow into Morgana's side and motioned her head toward Arthur. There he was, the prince of Camelot, staring like a big-eyed puppy at the young woman as she combed her fingers through her bangs and brushed them out of her gaze.

Uther stepped forward to meet the two in the centre of the chamber with open arms. "Prince Jaiden, welcome," he smiled warmly and shook firm hands with the man, who bowed his head in the utmost respect with a faint smile on his chin. Then, Uther's gaze shifted onto the woman and a kind smile appeared on his face, one that was foreign to Kadian and Morgana. "And, to you, the Lady Azura. It is an honour to have you both here in Camelot."

"The honour is all ours, Sire," Jaiden replied with a smile and exchanged a quick glance with his sister; She was staring at the ground with her hands folded together before her. "I am sorry that we arrived a day early, Sire. I hope that it is not a bother."

Uther shook his head. "There's no need to apologize, my friend," he stated and turned slightly to allow Jaiden and Azura to see the members of the royal family that stood behind him. "Jaiden, Azura, you remember my son, Arthur, and daughter, Kadian."

"How could we forget?" Jaiden said cheerfully; Azura moved her gaze from the floor to the three. Her eyes averted Arthur's as he continued to gander at her and slowly drifted over to Kadian, where her soft lips curved into a smile before she gazed at Morgana with a curious expression, but friendly nonetheless.

"And this is my ward, Morgana," Uther introduced waving his arm in Morgana's direction. The girl stepped forward and stood before Azura and Jaiden, smiling with her green eyes shimmering in the pale sunlight.

"It is a pleasure to meet the both of you. I've heard a lot about the two of you," she smiled warmly. Morgana took this moment to examine Azura closer. She seemed mildly content, with a flicker of timidness in her eyes. "I hope that we can be as close friends as you and the Pendragons' are."

Jaiden bowed his head slightly with his eyes staying put on her beautiful face. "I hope so, My Lady," he replied gently and took her soft hands, kissing them lightly. He let the fall from his grasp and he nudged his sister gently in the side "Zu, say something," he pressed softly, annoyed with how quiet she had become.

Azura beamed at her brother as he called her by the name he had given her growing up. "Y-yeah, I hope we can be good friends as well," she stammered softly in a voice which could mistaken for that of an angel.

Morgana nodded her head and backed away, giving Kadian a confused glance. As Uther finished his greeting to the prince and princess, Kadian turned her attention to her love-struck brother. "Arthur," she whispered.

He did not reply.

"_Arthur_," she hissed; but the prince remained silent. "For Christ's sake, _Arthur!_" Her hand smacked the back of his head when Uther was not paying attention, but the action did not escape Azura's eye and she held back her amusement.

Arthur snapped back into reality and shook his head as his senses rushed back to him. His eyes whipped to his sister, slight enraged. "What?" he asked in a mere whisper.

Kadian rolled her eyes. "Wipe your chin," she scowled. "You were staring. She's self-conscious enough as it is." Morgana chuckled softly.

Arthur brought a hand to his chin and frowned when he found nothing there. He shook his head and went to look back at Jaiden and his sister, but Uther had escorted them from the chamber. "I hate the both of you. Why do you have to do this to me?" Arthur asked disgruntled, turning to his sister and Morgana again with a scowl.

"Because, Arthur," Kadian answered as she and Morgana turned away, "you make is so easy."

"Should I tell Merlin 'hello' and give him a kiss for you?" Arthur called after them with a vengeful grin.

Kadian spun around to face her brother as if to retaliate with a brilliant comment, but she held her tongue and followed Morgana from the chamber.

-x-

The sun continued to rise and towering, dark clouds rolled over the sky, painting it grey with shadows and concealed the yellow orb from sight. Thunder roared through the the land of Albion and lightning streaked across the sky in a magnificent shade of purple, engulfing trees into blazing fires.

The haunting shadows hid the dark mischief of one man. He made his way through a crowded bazaar, searching for one merchant in particular. He found the merchant in the far corner of the bazaar, shielded from the cold rain. The man said grimly, "I hear you have a shield for me," as he removed the cloak that concealed his face.

The bald merchant nodded and beckoned for the man to follow him into the back of his shop. The merchant lifted up the shield he had made, its polish reflecting the flickering torches that hung on the walls. There were three snakes intertwined with each other on top of the off-white finish. Each snake had emerald green scales and a yellow underbelly. Long, white fangs hung from their open jaws were their split, red tongues flicked out before them, licking the off-white coat. "With your sword-craft and this shield, I guarantee that you'll win," explained the merchant as the man's beady eyes beamed at the shield's beauty.

"Show me how it works," he demanded as his eyes eyes filled with greed and his lips moved and his crooked teeth flashed with the light.

The merchant nodded, "Certainly." He turned his head to the shield and muttered an enchantment.

The heads of the painted snakes emerged from the shield, hissing and snapping at their new surroundings as they gazed curiously around. Their bright red eyes gaped at the man admiring them. "When you are competing in the tournament, you pin your opponent and whisper to the snake's to strike. You're opponent will be paralysed."

The man's lips formed an even greater grin as he took the shield from the merchant. The snakes hissed as they were handed over and they swerved their scaly bodies in the shape of an S as they await their first instruction.

"The snakes are now under your command," informed the merchant, beaming at his work and the glimmer in his customer's eyes. "They will do anything you tell them to."

"Anything?"

"Just say the word."

The man looked at the merchant with a darkened expression. He began to laugh and the merchant joined in, thinking that it was a mad rant for the triumph he would be awarded. He merchant's laughter faded as the merry expression on the man's face darkened and his laughter died into two, serial words, "Kill him."

Without hesitation, the snakes threw their bodies forward with their fangs extended. With a quick, fatal blow to the throat, the merchant fell to the floor, cold and limp. Slowly, the snakes slid their blood-caked fangs from the merchant's flesh, blinking as they awaited their praise for doing as their master demanded.

In a silent whisper, he praised the snakes before telling them to return into their frozen state as the shield's design. The tournament was in his grasp. It was inevitable for him to lose.

-x-

The sun rose in the east and once Arthur had finished the morsel of breakfast his servant prepared, Merlin joined the prince in the training field. He fumbled around with the sword he had borrowed. The armour he was suited in was a size too big and the helm on his head nearly blocked his vision. "You ready?" Arthur asked, sighing with frustration as he waited impatiently.

"Would it make a difference if I said 'no'?" Merlin asked, noticing that Kadian sat on her windowsill, looking out at them with a book on her lap. His smile was taken away when Arthur snapped his attention back.

"No, not really," Arthur shrugged, turning away from Merlin and taking a few steps while spinning the sword in his hand. As he came at Merlin, he called off where he was going to strike in hope that Merlin would block. The prince went left, then right, then left again, swing hard and strong against Merlin's shield or sword. When he said "head", Merlin froze in confusion and was struck in the helmet by Arthur's sword. "Come on, Merlin, you're not even trying."

"I _am_," Merlin replied, fixing his helmet as he was pushed backward by a gentle swing of Arthur's sword.

"Once more," Arthur said and started to call off strikes again. Merlin stumbled backwards in means to compensate Arthur's pressuring speed and blocked with both sword and shield, only to be hit in the head once more which caused him to freeze as the metal rang loudly in his ears. "_Come on_, Merlin. I have a tournament to win."

Merlin fixed his helmet once more and was barely able to see Arthur who stood directly in front of him. He was a warlock, not a swordsman. He did not see what use he was to Arthur in training for the tournament; Arthur would benefit more by training with one of his knights or even a wooden pole. As Arthur came in again, calling off strikes, he attempted to block them, but failed to protect his head for the third time. Arthur's sword swung and collided with the steel helmet three times, each on different areas of the helm, before he stopped, lowering his weapon.

Merlin collapsed to the ground as his knees gave way. The helmet fell off and landed a few feet away, leaving Merlin moaning as his brain stressed to stop moving inside his skull. Arthur looked down at his servant with a grin, "You're braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow."

Merlin stared up at Arthur, seeing three of the prince against the grey sky. "Is it done?" he asked pleading as he rose onto his elbows. He ignored the laughs that escaped Kadian from her perch.

"No, that was just the warm-up..." Arthur said, but his voice drifted off as he stared off in the distance. The Lady Azura was walking by in a stunning, white and gold-accented gown with her blonde hair flowing in the gentle wind. Her eyes were on the ground on which she walked and her hands were folded behind her back. She seemed lost in her own thoughts.

Kadian saw her brother stare and she rose to her feet laughing as she nodded to Merlin. Merlin took the distraction that took Arthur's attention and swept the prince's feet, got to his own, and towered over him with the borrowed sword pointed at his throat. Kadian started to laugh again and gripped the sill as she nearly fell out.

Azura looked up, startled, and turned to see what was happening around her. A hand was brought up to her pink lips as she giggled at the sight of servant towering over master. Arthur's face flushed red as he moved the sword away with his hand and kicked Merlin away to rise onto his feet. Arthur turned toward Azura and their gazes locked for a moment; an intense moment where their cheeks burned crimson and their hearts raced like animals in their chest. Then, Azura's head dropped to her chest and she continued on in a hurry.

Arthur turned and glared at Merlin. He reached for his sword and grasped it hastily. "What's wrong with you, Merlin?" he demanded angrily and swung the sword at Merlin's head.

Merlin ducked and held his sword before him, ready to weakly defend himself. "Y-you weren't paying attention, Sire. Kadian made me do it," he replied confidently and glanced up for some aid, but she was no longer in her window. "You need to keep a clear head and not let that _girl_ get in the way."

Furious, Arthur disarmed Merlin with a single movement and brought him down to his knees and held the sword at his throat, all in a matter of seconds. "That _girl_ has a name, Merlin. It's the Lady Azura. I suggest you learn it," he growled in his servant's ear.

"Ah, met your match have you?" Merlin asked with a chuckle. "No wonder you are so red. I thought that you were just angry, _my lord_."

"Oh, shut up, Merlin." Arthur threw Merlin against the ground, wishing that he had slit his throat while doing so. He sheathed his sword and looked up at the open windows where his sister had sat. Annoyed, he stormed off, leaving Merlin to clean up.

-x-

Merlin did not say a word as he stumbled into the court physician's chamber. He dropped the armour he held in his arms onto the floor and stared at Gaius who stared back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"How did it go?" Gaius asked with a smile as he looked up from his work.

Merlin tapped the side of his head twice with the gauntlet on his hand and looked at Gaius dazedly. "Do you hear clanging?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as his ears buzzed.

Kadian walked silently into the chamber and stopped behind him, her blue eyes swimming in amusement with how ridiculous he looked suited in aged, tarnished mail. He jumped at the sound of her soft voice. "You poor thing," she said softly and helped him over to a seat; Gaius sighed and prepared some balms and medicines to help with ease the throbbing pain.

Since Merlin could barely move his arms because his muscles were throbbing in pain, Kadian lifted off the hauberk he wore across his neck and undid the steel plates on his arms and hands. Then as she stood behind him, Kadian messaged his tense shoulders, loosing the stress that formed knots in his neck and pinched various nerves that made his muscles twitch at random moments. Her fingers were so gentle and soothing against his flaming skin that Merlin shut his eyes and took many slow, deep breaths as he relaxed.

Gaius sighed heavily as he watched them out of the corner of his eyes. He carried several phials over to the table Merlin sat in front of. "Al right then, let's see what the damage is today," the physician said mellowly; Kadian took her hands away from Merlin's shoulders as he lifted off Merlin's tunic. His muscles were swollen and beat red, especially around his neck and shoulders, and his skin was splotched with blues and purples. "What did you do to anger him today, Merlin?" Gaius asked, perturbed and shaking his head, and reached for the larger of the phials and a cloth.

"To be honest, nothing," Merlin answered and winced as the balm was applied to his skin. Gaius roughly rubbed the balm to allow it to seep deep into his skin; the effects slowly began to take effect and his skin began to tingle weirdly. Merlin sighed.

"That's not entirely honest, Merlin," Kadian muttered and handed Gaius another cloth on which he poured a different substance and applied it onto Merlin's swollen neck. The substance was cool against his inflamed skin, but then, it began to burn like a raging fire that made Merlin twinge uncomfortably.

Gaius stopped suddenly and turned Merlin's head roughly so the warlock's gaze was on him. He raised a white eyebrow that stretched his old skin into a prying stare. "You didn't say anything about the Lady Azura, did you? Merlin... you will never learn! How could you be so stupid?"

"It's not his fault, Gaius. He didn't know." Kadian met Merlin's gaze that barely slipped passed the physician; she smiled softly. "Arthur always acts irrational when she's 'round Camelot, even if there's just talk of her. You're lucky, Merlin. He likes you, otherwise... we'd be planning for your funeral," Kadian said, grimly toward the end, and handed Gaius the phial he pointed to.

"Is that suppose to make me _feel_" - Gaius pressed firmly on Merlin's shoulder, causing pain to shoot up to the base of his skull and down his right leg; Merlin winced and curved his body one way until the pain subsided - "better?" Merlin mumbled and rolled his throbbing shoulder stiffly. They could hear the cartilage pop as he did so and Kadian trembled at the nauseating sound.

"_Argh_, I've got to learn about tournament educates by the morning." He stared across the table at the book that lay sealed at the end; it came flying across the table as a soft enchantment rolled over his lips. Gaius smacked his head hard, adding another bruise to the collection, and Kadian turned to Merlin with a you-did-not-just-do-that stare.

"What have I told you about using magic in such a manner?" Gaius scolded, crushing the cloth between his fingers; liquid dribbled over his wrinkled hand and dropped like rain to the floor.

"If I could feel my arms and pick up the book myself..." Merlin began.

"Never mind your arms, what do I do if you're caught?" Gaius interrupted harshly.

"I could've gotten it for you," Kadian added softly and turned her gaze to the book. She flipped through the first few pages of the book, skimming across the old drawings and long passages beneath them; it seemed rather boring and she closed it.

"What would you do?" Merlin asked Gaius curiously. He frowned at Kadian's remark when his gaze reached her, eluding Gaius' scary, quizzical stare; the way the pale sunlight kissed the side of her face so mystically and beautifully rose heat to his cheeks and set his heart racing. He was forced to look away.

"Just don't let it happen, for both our sakes," Gaius said grizzly. He handed Merlin a phial and had him drink it all. Obediently, Merlin drank the foul-smelling liquid and nearly gagged as the thick substance tricked down his throat, leaving a terrible, bitter after-taste.

Kadian began to pace around the room, crossing her arms at her chest, with the skirt of her dress hovering in the air as she moved elegantly. "I can't fathom why you were rewarded by becoming my brother's servant. I hardly see how fair that is," she said and spun around swiftly to pace in the opposite direction. "And it's going to be living hell over the next couple days with Azura here. He'll expect you to make him look the best that he can."

"That and mucking out his horses and all the other things on my list of duties," Merlin grumbled as he rolled his neck; it popped and Kadian shivered at the sound.

"We all have our list of duties Merlin, even Arthur," Gaius replied softly as he retrieved his supplies from the table. He placed them on his work bench and said, darkly as if he did not approve, "and Kadian, as well."

"Must be so hard for him. All the girls and glory..." Merlin muttered, rolling his stiff shoulders. His pressed his lips together and formed a straight line as Kadian sent him a dark glare that sent shivers up and down his spine which, in turn, brought a sweep of pain.

Kadian stood before Merlin now and uncrossed her arms. Her fingers curled around the edge of the table. "My brother is under a lot of pressure, Merlin. Arthur may be an prat but he is still the future king of Camelot. People expect so much of him as well as myself. If he is killed, I must take his place. So, don't even begin to complain about what you have to do because of a generous thing you did. _I_ have to mop up after Arthur's attitude _and_ his actions. My father may treat me like a maid, but I still do my duties as the princess and all the other things he throws upon me, things I'm not meant to do. Do you understand what Gaius and I are saying, Merlin?" she stated fiercely with her voice mimicking a cat's hiss; her cheeks were flushed crimson as she held back the urge to hit him across the face with the back of her hand.

Merlin seemed to have forgotten the entire English language as Kadian's words replayed in his head, over and over again, overlapping in a never-ending echo. Gaius gave Kadian a thankful nod and she returned it. Her fingers released the table and she stepped back from Merlin; she felt a knot release in her chest that made her smile weakly.

Then, with a loud _clang_ against the wall, the door to Gaius' chamber swung open. Azura and Jaiden stepped into the chamber. Jaiden had his left hand clamped over his right forearm and his sister's arms looped softly around his left bicep. "How can help you, Sire?" Gaius asked warmly with a curt bow and motioned them to a chair on the opposite side of his chamber.

"I was cut while practising for the tournament. It isn't drastic, but they told me to come to you, Gaius," Jaiden answered with a bright smile. He sat on the chair and turned his bright gaze onto Azura who took her arm away. "Zu, you don't have to stay."

"I don't mind," Azura whispered softly as Gaius came over to inspect the wound. He stated that it was a clean cut, nothing too deep and nothing that could jeopardize his chance of competing, perhaps winning, the tournament.

Kadian crossed the chamber swiftly and took Azura by the wrist, pulling her away from her brother. "Come on, Azura." she said sternly. "Let's leave the boys to do whatever it is that boys do." She sent a wink in Merlin's direction and she dragged Azura through the door.

-x-

Kadian brought Azura unwillingly through the palace corridors; several maids and servants stopped their mingling and bowed their heads and stepped out of their way. Finally unable to tolerate being dragged about any longer, Azura pulled her wrist swiftly and strongly away and nearly sent Kadian to the floor. "Why are you doing this to me?" she asked in a normal tone, hiding her frustration that was evident in her eyes.

"Because I haven't seen you in ages," Kadian replied with a smile. "And, I think you need to stop clinging to your brother as if the both of you were adjoined at the hip." She paused, seeing a strange, sad change in Azura's expression. "What happened to you, anyway? You used to be fun, always sneaking around and doing anything that wasn't princess-like." She lead Azura out to the tournament grounds, crossing the lively streets and pretty, vibrant courtyard, and to the area where the knights of the realm were signing up to compete in the tournament.

"Things are... different now," Azura answered softly with her voice low and barely audible. She looked at the knights that were lined up at the registration stand. Each knight was suited in clean tunics embellishing the colours of the lord that they fought under; there was reds and greens, yellows and blues, all the wonderful colours of the magnificent spectrum together in one place.

Kadian tilted her head to the side; Azura had answered her question half-heartedly and directed her unsettled attention to the many colours of the knights, hiding the emotions that swam in her bright-blue eyes. "I'm sorry about your mother," Kadian said softly in a heavy, sympathetic tone. "I knew what she meant to you and Jaiden."

Azura did not comment and let Kadian's words linger into the air until they faded away to nothing. She took a deep, harsh breath and turned to Kadian, setting a familiar expression on her with her eyes beaming like shimmering jewels in the golden sun. "What of you? You look different. Or maybe it's just because you left the side of your poor, beaten lover, who I applaud for taking down Arthur by-the-way."

Kadian frowned and crossed her arms at her chest; her cheeks flushed crimson and she felt her heart leap. "Merlin's not my _lover_," she hissed darkly. "Like you would know love if it stood right in front of you."

"Well..." She paused and pressed her lips together into a firm line, like she was thinking about what to say next. Kadian's comment seemed to bother her and her cheeks turned a soft pink. Then, with a soft voice, she changed the subject, "Who's that?" Azura pointed to the tall man who rode a proud horse. Kadian shrugged; he was new to Camelot.

The knight dismounted his horse and removed his gleaming, silver helmet as he approached the registration. He had short, dark-brown hair and forest eyes that contrasted his bright yellow tunic, embellished with the black crest of the Western Isles. Secured to his right forearm was a large, off-white shield on which three, coiling snakes were painted with their jaws open and their slitted tongues curling before their emerald bodies.

He tossed down a small, wooden print of his shield. The man sitting at the table quizzically glanced up from his packet of parchment that held all the names of the competitors and set his quill down. "Knight Valiant of the Western Isles. I'm here for the tournament," said the knight haughtily. He glanced at Azura and Kadian as they sauntered by with the skirts of their gowns being lifted by a gentle breeze.

They giggled and continued on their way.

-x-

The heavy, rhythmic rataplan of the drums boomed throughout Camelot like a growl of thunder. The tournament was near it start with the bright, golden sun beaming in the crystal-blue sky. The citizens of Uther's grand city swarmed the mobbed stands, waiting impatiently for the duels to begin.

In the preparation area beside the tournament grounds, Kadian and Morgana watched amused as Merlin fumbled with dressing Arthur in his armour. The straps on the bracer were giving him difficulty; he was attempting to attached the right bracer to Arthur's left wrist. At least Merlin managed to dress Arthur in his gleaming silver mail, red tunic embellishing the Pendragon crest and a billowing, Pendragon-red cloak.

Kadian gently nudged Morgana's side and whispered for her to watch Arthur's face. His head moved as quickly as his face went from seriously annoyed to incomparable lust.

Azura was walking by with long, elegant strides. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun and two strands curtaining the sides of her delicate face. In her arms lay her brother's sword, recently shined and sharpened, fit for battle. As she passed by them, she shifted her alluring, aquamarine eyes onto Arthur; who froze as his heart lurked and crimson flowed into his hard cheeks. "Good luck," she smiled warmly. Her eyes lingered over his handsome face until she vanished to behind a tent to where her brother was being suited.

"_Focus_!" Kadian shouted in unison with Merlin and Morgana once Azura was out of hearing-range.

"Where's my sword, Merlin?" Arthur growled sharply; the effects of Azura's bright smile faded as did the colour in his cheeks. He shook his head into focus.

"Right..." Merlin said falteringly and ran over to grab Arthur's silver blade from its holder. He raced back to Arthur who snatched his sword and stalked off to join the knights for the opening ceremony.

-x-

The rhythm of the drums quickened; everyone in the stands took their seats and remained silent. The twenty-four knights entered in two columns in no particular order; some were tall, like Jaiden, and some, like Arthur, were short compared to the others. Arthur's eyes danced across each of the watching faces, grinning inconspicuously when he saw Azura sitting beside Kadian in the front row. However Azura did not smile at him, but at her brother who was the first knight in the line up. Arthur had to admit that Jaiden was his biggest threat in the tournament, not only because he was taller, older and undoubtedly stronger than himself, but Jaiden had mastered an art of swordsmanship that was foreign to Arthur and the other knights; not to mention, Jaiden was Azura's brother.

Uther walked before the knights as they stopped in the centre of the tournament ground, standing still and stiff with their heads held high. The crown upon his temple reflected the sun's light magnificently and his red cloak billowed in the air as he paced before them, sweeping his bold gaze across each strong, warrior face.

"Knights of the realm, it is a great honour to welcome you to the tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and of course, challenge the reigning champion: my son, Prince Arthur," the King bellowed, looking from one knight to the next; his eyes stayed on Jaiden's unchanging face longer than any other before he continued. "Only one can have the honour of being crowned champion and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold pieces."

The crowd gasped as a servant lifted open a wooden chest in which a thousand, gold shillings glimmered. "It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward." Uther's voice echoed through the silent tournament grounds as all those gathered beamed at the knights, suited in different colours that were bright and radiant in the high sun. Uther rose his arm and said, "Let the tournament begin!"

The stands uprooted in cheers and applause as the King's final words rolled over his old lips. Several of the knights looked down and at their boots as they took the king's words to heart; the rest gazed upward at their cheering fans, basking in the glory. Arthur was among those who stared down. Kadian could see the nervousness in his eyes when he looked up suddenly to show the people of Camelot that he was ready and unafraid of the challenge that lay ahead.

Jaiden of Luthrembel took a deep, slow breath and locked gazes with his little sister, probably his only fan in the crowd, for the time being. It was his goal to make her smile and win this tournament; he wanted buy her something special for her twentieth birthday that was rapidly approaching.

All but two of the knights turned in unison and exited the arena with the cheers of the crowd echoing their soft footsteps; Arthur stayed where he was and a servant raced forward to remove his cloak. As the knights departed and the crowd anticipated the first duel of the tournament, Uther strolled to his son and murmured in his ear, "I trust that you will make me proud."

Arthur nodded assuringly and took his position on the battle field. The servant handed him his shield and he placed his sliver helmet over his head. He drew his sword and held it above his head; the motion, swift as if was, signalled to his opponent that he was ready to fight. His opponent, a heavy-set man with big, bulging muscles and garbed in a green tunic, rose his sword.

The first match began.

Arthur's sword whipped through the air and met that of his opponent. He raised his shield as the rival blade slid off his and slashed upward at his stomach. Jumping back, Arthur parried the enemy blade to the side; his heart was racing with adrenaline, sharpening his senses to where each cheer and clap from the crowd sounded like thunder in his ears and his sight was quick, nearly foretelling each movement from his opponent.

He ducked low and turned as the green knight sliced his sword through the air at his head; the knight kicked him in the back and he stumbled over his boots. Arthur spun swiftly and lifted his shield. He shoved his shield forward when the rival blade collided with a metal _clang_; the knight was thrown back and almost lost his heavy stance.

Arthur's breaths were heavy, rolling over his lips sharply and hot; his lungs felt like weights inside his chest, crushing down on his rapidly beating heart. Sweat trickled down his face and as he swept his tongue across his lips, he shivered at the salty taste. His opponent, the strong, valiant knight in green, was growing weary as well and his shoulders sank and trembled to keep his massive arms from falling limp at his sides. Of course, neither of them believed that the other would just give in; they both craved glorious victory and that drove them forward, no matter the cost.

The green knight lunged forward, the point of his sword looking for Arthur's stomach. The prince hollowed his mid-section, barely escaping a gutting. Then, he leaned back quickly as the knight's sword reared with a stab meant for the head. Raising his shield against the quaking of his tired arms, he met the knight's sword with a big, metallic _clang_ that erupt the stands with cheers.

Over the noise of the crowd, Arthur could hear one voice that stood out among the rest: Azura was chanting his name and brought her soft, delicate hands together to applaud him. The sound was all he needed to replenish his strength.

The two swordsmen stepped away from each other and circled, plotting their next move and their opponent's reaction. Arthur made the first move, blitzing at the knight with strong, hissing swings and threatening stabs of his sword. His opponent blocked heavily with his shield and stepped into the middle Arthur's stance; he swung wildly at Arthur's head.

The prince ducked down low, since there was little room to reposition his feet. Then, he shot upward with his shield raised and pushed the knight's sword away. The knight rose his shield to push Arthur away, but Arthur was quicker; he fiercely elbowed the knight in the head. The green knight's helm was thrown off by the force behind Arthur's elbow and he collapsed to the ground heavily with defeat.

The crowd roared with cheers and applause and they bounced up at down merrily. Arthur had won the first match.

Arthur removed his helm and his gaze met his father through his sweaty hair. The King nodded in approval. Then, his blue eyes daringly drifted over to where Azura stood with his sister and Morgana. It surprised him to see her clapping and cheering his name with the orchestra of the crowd. Her bright smile could have shamed the mighty sun and the sight made his red cheeks burn even more as his heart skipped a rapid beat. Before he turned to leave the arena, he sent a warm, inconspicuous smile to her that rose pink in her cheeks.

The green knight's shield fell from the brackets and landed in the dirt and was hidden by the long blades of grass.

-x-

Four duels went on and four more shields were dropped from the brackets. Finally after a long hour or so, Azura rose to her feet and brought her hands together. She started the crowd in a cheer as her brother stepped into the tournament grounds. He was suited in ivory, shining silver and glistening gold, the colours of Luthrembel. The colours brought out the darkness in his black hair and the cunningness of his dazzling, aquamarine eyes. Before he placed the silver helmet over his head, he sent a reassuring nod to his sister that he would come out of the duel victor.

His opponent stepped forward, dressed in violet. He wielded twin blades that glinted the yellow sunlight as they moved. The knight was from an enemy kingdom and Jaiden would enjoy beating him to the ground.

The knight lunged in, swinging his swords madly and swiftly. Jaiden jumped back and moved both swords out of his way with his shield. With the knight's side exposed, his rasped the edge of his sword against the knight's mail. The knight stumbled forward and spun, eyeing Jaiden who twirled his sword in his hand; he had to rethink his approach.

"Jaiden! Jaiden!" the crowd boomed.

Jaiden strongly blocked a weak thrust and pushed his shield forward, knocking one sword out of the knight's hand. A spark seemed to light a fire inside the knight and he started spinning wildly and striking Jaiden faster and stronger, throwing punches and kicks as he did so.

But, Jaiden's feet were swifter than any Kadian had ever seen, perhaps faster than a startled rabbit. His entire body danced smoothly around the kicks and punches; he used his shield to block the sword attacks and parry them away; and when the opportunity arrived, he sliced at the knight's armour.

Kadian looked away from the whooshing silver blurs of the swords and stared intrigued at Jaiden's wonderful footwork. The way his feet naturally moved him precisely across the ground was like he was walking on air. She had never seen anything like it. If he moved any quicker, she swore that he would be nothing but a white, silver and gold blur against the musky brown of the soil.

Jaiden ducked down as his opponent's sword circled over his head. Using the hand holding his sword for support, Jaiden swept the knight's footing and stole it for his own. He held his sword at the knight's throat.

The crowd roared. Azura was the loudest shouting her brother's name, and jumped up and down as her brother helped his opponent up after the match had officially ended.

From where Arthur stood with his arms crossed, watching the duel and studying each motion, anyone who paid any mind to him would notice that he enjoyed the sight of Azura bouncing up and down too much.

Another shield was tossed from the brackets.

-x-

Knight Valiant stepped into the arena next with pride and arrogance written over his smug face. He defeated his opponent all too quickly for Kadian's liking. He stood in the centre of the arena, basking in the glory from all the people who cheered his name; his opponent, however, was removed from the grounds by a litter.

The next day, when the tournament continued the knights would fight in two rounds. The final, champion-deciding match would take place on the third day. There were twelve knights left that sought the gold and honour of being champion.

-x-

Kadian searched for Arthur and Merlin among the preparation area. As she walked gracefully through the mass of men and servants, she congratulated several of the knights that address her and bowed as she passed.

Arthur was freed from the restraints of his armour and smiled slightly with exhaustion in his eyes as Kadian approached. "You fought brilliantly today, Arthur," she said warmly and embraced her brother tightly. Her embrace, no matter how kind she meant it, hurt him and he gave her a dark glare when he pushed her back. She continued, "Keep it up and you'll win the entire tournament, _again_."

Before he could reply to her shockingly kind words, Knight Valiant came up behind her, dripping in his putrid-smelling sweat from his last fight. "May I offer you my congratulations on your victory today?" he said hoarsely to the prince.

"Likewise," Arthur replied in a grumbled; they locked rival stares that heated their blood.

"I will see you at the reception this evening," the knight said and dipped his head slightly to Arthur and Kadian. Then, with a dark glance to Arthur, he continued onward to his guest chambers.

Arthur watched him go, concerned that Valiant was a threat, and turned to Merlin. He gave him a long list of orders on what he needed to do in preparation for tomorrow's fights. The list included shining and mending his armour and sharpening his dull sword.

Kadian rolled her eyes at her brother's demands and watched as he stalked away. Merlin picked up the armour that Arthur had tossed to the ground carelessly. Kadian took her brother's sword and helmet before Merlin could snatch them from the bench. "Here, I'll help you carry some of this," she smiled sweetly.

"Thanks," Merlin said happily and returned her sweet smile.

-x-

Arthur walked through the crowded area where the knights were dispersing to their chambers to freshen up for the reception. He saw Azura walk by in a hurry, carrying her brother's sword against her chest, and vanished before he could manage to mumble a word to her. Oh how he wished to have mumbled a word to her and speak to her one-on-one; it would send his heart flying across Albion. He had never really noticed his feelings for her until the very last minute when she was in Camelot three or so years ago, and he thought them to be lost; but with every mention or thought of her name, his cheeks burned red and he lost all sense. Seeing her in person and smelling her sweet aroma that lingered in the air when she walked by, made Arthur wonder how he was still standing.

There was a tap on his shoulder. He spun around ready to take on another opponent, but his muscles relaxed. It was Jaiden standing in front of him. Never before did Arthur realize how much taller and muscular Jaiden was than he and realizing it made him feel puny.

"Congratulations, Arthur," Jaiden said kindly as he pushed back his sweaty hair.

"The same to you," Arthur replied.

Jaiden chuckled slightly. "Enough of formal conversation, Arthur," he said; his voice had darkened and they locked fierce, challenging gazes. "Keep your eyes off my sister. Or..." He paused to lift his shoulders and let them fall with ease. "I'll make sure it is the last thing you will ever do. Got it?"

Arthur stood his ground, seeming to be unfathomed by Jaiden's threat. "Of course, friend," Arthur replied, forcing himself to lower his head in respect like he knew that Azura was no-man's land.

Jaiden nodded his head suspiciously and stared down at Arthur. He pushed him and ran after his sister, who had run off with his sword without his noticing. Arthur watched him go, frozen where he stood, thinking about his chances against Jaiden if he were to keep gandering at Azura every time she walked by or even, he ever so desired, when she spoke to him.

-x-

Merlin pushed the door open to his bedroom and placed the pile of dented armour in the corner as Kadian placed her brother's sword and helmet onto the end of the bed. "I cannot stay for long, Merlin. I'm sorry," Kadian said sorrowfully and turned to leave. "I'll talk to you later, though. No worries there." She did not give him a chance to reply and went up to her chambers to get ready for the reception.

-x-

Kadian slipped into a beautiful, sky-blue crepe gown that was embroidered with sapphire stars and bedecked with gilt lace. It had a full skirt and a tight-fitting top that brought out how thin and curvy she was.

She went to her bureau and opened her jewellery box, lifting out a long silver chain on which a large sapphire stone hung. She was able to wrap the chain around her neck twice and the stone dangled at her chest. Then, she turned and gazed at herself in the large mirror. Her short, white-blonde hair was thin and straight, except for two strands, each on one side of her face, that were curled. The shade of her dress really made her eyes pop and the sight of herself in the mirror made her smile. Though she did not fully understand why she loved to looked beautiful on special occasions, she felt that by dressing so radiantly she could imagine what her mother looked like in these gowns.

Morgana stood waiting for her in the corridor and smiled in delight in the attire Kadian had dressed in. Morgana wore an elegant, cherry red gown that was form-fitting and dramatized her seductive figure. It was trimmed with gold along its top and the thin straps that looped around her neck in a cross. There were no sleeves and two golden armlets were clasped to her arms. Her dark hair was pulled back, leaving two or three curls alongside her pretty face, and in her hair was a single, gold pin with a shining pearl.

Together, they walked to the chamber where the reception was being held.

-x-

None of the knights remaining in the tournament had arrived when they entered the chamber, only Uther and his men waited. The King greeted them warmly, though there was some hesitation and haste in his voice when he greeted his daughter; but his voice was much calmer than normal and raised one of Kadian's thin eyebrows as she stood next to Morgana on Uther's right.

Gradually, the knights filed into the chamber. Knight Valiant was the first in line with a proud smirk on his chin as he introduced himself to the King.

Uther commented on his aggressive fighting style and introduced him to Morgana. Valiant asked if he had heard correctly that the champion had the honour of escorting her to the feast and Morgana complied that he had heard correct with a faint smile and rosy cheeks. He kissed her hands and said that he would do his best to win the tournament just to escort her to the feast. Kadian rolled her eyes, happy that she was not a prize to be won in the tournament, and watched as her father greeted knight after knight. Arthur approached his father and only acknowledged him before moving to Morgana and his sister.

"They all seem rather impressed by Knight Valiant," Morgana pointed out and motioned with her head toward Valiant who spoke with several of the other competitors.

"They're not they only ones," Arthur muttered as he eyed the knight as he mingled so friendly and warmly with the others.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Kadian grinned.

"What is there to be jealous of?" Arthur answered; he treated her to a scowl before proceeding to give the next knight the opportunity to meet Morgana.

Kadian watched as he surveyed the chamber, undoubtedly looking for Azura to see if she had been impressed with his fighting skills over Valiant's. However, she was not present and Kadian was curious as to why since Jaiden was next in line to be greeted by the King.

The doors to the chamber swung open and everyone turned as a guard ran in, dipping his head to the king before addressing Jaiden in a fast, nearly incomprehensible manner. Jaiden nodded and turned to Uther who had raised an eyebrow for he had missed the guard's words entirely.

"I beg for your forgiveness, Sire," Jadian said; there was a hint of panic in his voice. He bowed his head and stepped out of line, racing out of the chamber with a hand on his sword.

By the way Jadian ran swiftly across the wood floor, Kadian prayed that nothing had happened to Azura; otherwise, chaos would erupt, maybe war.

-x-

Jaiden entered the corridor and waited until the door shut him away from the watching eyes of the other knights. His hand released the golden pommel of his sword and he leaned against the chill, stone wall; he let his head fall into his hands. There was a tight knot in his chest, one that squeezed his heart to where he thought it would pop and he would fall dead.

A panicked, sobbing voice called his name from down the corridor. Jadian lifted his head out of his coarse hands.

Azura ran up to him in the splendid gown she had worn when she arrived in the city. "Is it true?" she asked; her eyes were drowning in her tears and her voice was weak and on the verge of sobbing. "Is it true? Jaiden!"

Jadian let a long, sad sigh roll over his lips. He opened his arms and Azura collapsed against him, sobbing hysterically. He softly stroked her neck and back, offering her the comfort and warmth of his chest; only, his chest was rising and falling rapidly and uncomfortably as he fought back his own hysteric sobs. For the first time since the night of their mother's death, a tear dripped from his eye and landed invisibly on the top of his sister's head.

-x-

Inside the hall, Uther smiled graciously at the last knight and shook firm hands with him. He was anxious to see what had called Jaiden away and when the last knight finished his proclamation to win the tournament and win Morgana's hand, Uther left the hall with family, excluding Morgana.

Jaiden held his his sister in his arms, unconsciously stroking her back, with his cheek resting against the top of head. She was sobbing softly against his chest and hid her face from the watching eyes. When he saw the King, Jaiden lifted his head and dipped it slightly.

"What's happened?" Uther asked and he gazed sympathetically at Azura who nestled closer to her brother at his deep voice..

With a mono voice and an unchanging face, Jaiden replied, "Luthrembel was attacked."

Uther stepped back like he had sustained a blow to the heart. "Then you must ride out to aid them..." His voice faded into the dim torchlight as Jaiden shook his head.

"It would be of no use, Sire," Jaiden replied hoarsely like he had something trapped in his throat. He moved Azura to his side and snaked a arm across her back to hold her there; she refused to show her face. "There are no survivors. The man that carried the message died upon reaching the city's gates." He paused as his voice was stolen by the lump in his throat; he forced the lump down and took a deep breath. "He carried my father's brooch with him."

Kadian brought her hands to her face and clasped them around her lips to conceal her gasp. Azura's cries grew hysterically again and they rose tears in Kadian's eyes. Arthur stood beside his sister, too stunned by the news to show any expression in his face; Azura's cries hit him in a place that made his heart lurk and his stomach twist painfully.

Uther took a moment to gather himself; Jaiden and Azura's father had been his closest friend. The King's voice was soft as he spoke, "Arthur, gather my court. An emergency session is being called."

"Yes, Sire," Arthur said quickly and bowed his head. He raced down the corridor with a single, sympathetic glance back at Jaiden and Azura.

Uther turned to Jaiden and Azura and clasped a firm, comforting hand on Jaiden's broad shoulder. "You are most welcome to stay in my palace as long as you need. You've been friends of my family as well as allies to Camelot for a great many years. It is the least I can do... I am truly sorry."

"Thank you, Sire," Jaiden replied weakly; his lips were quivering.

Kadian stood motionless as Uther turned to meet with his council; Jaiden and Azura disappeared to their chambers to mourn the loss of their father and their home. They were the last of their people, the last of their family. If Luthrembel had been seized, then its dominions were lost to them as well; and whomever captured the city would undoubtedly search for Jaiden and his sister, to secure the claim.

-x-

Uther met with his council in private, sending his children and ward to bed with many questions on what was to be done. The council discussed their options; whether to send troops to investigate or to double the defence of Camelot. No one knew what had befallen Luthrembel; whether a sorcerer had waved his hand and brought down chaos; if a creature sent the palace up in flames; or if a rival kingdom had staged an attack. All that was certain was that King Lightwing's dominions outside of his marvellous city had shared the same fate. Whatever that fate may have been, Camelot must protect itself from sharing in it.

-x-

Azura sat in her chamber in her trailing, white night gown. She gazed at the dark sky from her perch on the windowsill. A tiny, sad flame coiled around the wick of the tall candle she lit beside her, illuminating her absent eyes. Jaiden had left her to retire to his chamber, which was down the hall if she needed him, to mourn and cry alone; he did not want her to see him in that vulnerable state.

Neither of them slept and left their beds perfectly made.

She watched the dawn slowly ascend from the darkness of night; only she felt like the darkness had never left and was gradually growing around her.

-x-

The sun rose in the sky, painting it a warm pink and orange and then blue as the clouds turned white as the first winter's snow. There was frantic knock on her chamber door and Kadian rolled onto her side, dragging the covers with her as she stared at the door. The knocking continued and she moaned as she rose to her feet and walked over, fixing her ruffled and twisted night gown.

As she opened the door slowly, Merlin burst into the chamber. "I think Valiant's using magic!" he exclaimed as he panted to capture his breath. He spun to face her and pressed his lips together when he saw that she was not dressed.

Swiftly and silently, Kadian locked the door and raised an eyebrow as he gaze fell onto Merlin. "What?" she asked puzzled. "Why do you suspect him? Especially at this early hour..."

"I'm _sorry_," he panted. He took another deep breath and locked gazes with her. "Y'see, when I was in the armoury getting Arthur's armour, I heard this hissing sound; like a _hhiiisss_. (Kadian nodded; she knew what a hiss sounded like) So, I searched 'round and I heard the hissing grow louder when I reached Valiant's shield resting against this pole..."

He paused to catch his breath; he was talking so fast it sound like nonsensical gibberish. "While I was looking at it, one of the snakes' eyes blinked," Merlin explained in a fast ramble. He had rushed through suiting Arthur in his armour, using faint magic to get the job done, and ran to her chamber as fast as he could.

"Merlin, are you sure?" Kadian asked as she yawned. She went around her chamber and retrieved a gown from the cupboard. Draping the gown over the screen, she disappeared to change into something decent.

"I know what I saw, Kadian," Merlin answered and turned his back to the screen as if he could see through it. "What are we going to do?"

Kadian sighed deeply as the damask of the gown swept across her ticklish skin. She reappeared from behind the screen and tossed her night gown onto the end of her messy bed. "I don't think that we can do anything, Merlin. We have no proof and its a servant's word against the word of a knight. Until you have actual, physical proof, there is really nothing you or I can do."

Merlin began to pace back and forth, tapping an index finger against his chin. Kadian took a seat by a mirror and combed through her knotted hair. In the mirror, she watched him pace in deep thought. After several minutes, a deep sigh rolled over her soft-pink lips and she placed the comb onto the table top. "Did Gaius tell you about what happened to Luthrembel?" she asked with a hint of sorrow behind her voice. She could hear the muffled cries of Azura like she was next to her.

"Yeah. It must be awful, loosing their entire home which they had only just left," Merlin answered, getting the obvious change in subject. He went over and unlocked the door, holding it open for Kadian as she rose to her feet.

She stood before him now as he held open the door. He reached up with a gentle hand and brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Her cheeks burned red and his hand shot back to his side as he looked down at his dirty, old boots.

Kadian turned and exited her chamber with Merlin stumbling behind her.

-x-

"It's horrible. They lost their mother not too long ago. I know that Azura's devastated..." Her voice drifted away and she glanced at Merlin to see his reaction; his eyes met hers and she blushed, forcing her gaze away. "But I am really concerned about Jaiden. If he wins his first match, he'll have to fight another one and another after that. He's an amazing warrior, but I do not think his mind will be where it is supposed to be. If something were to happen to him..."

She paused to take a long, deep and refreshing breath. They were in the busy street; the sun was blinding from its high, godly perch and it seemed hot enough to set the wooden stands ablaze. "I'm scared to see what Azura will do." They reached the entrance to the tournament ground and Kadian turned to Merlin swiftly. Her voice was nearly begging as she said, "Please tell me Arthur isn't fussing about what state of mind Azura's in."

Merlin shook his head. "He didn't mention anything about her, which was weird because lately, he hasn't shut up about her. He's distracted, but its Arthur," Merlin confessed; he glanced about them, seeing many curious and concerned stares upon them. They were standing close, too close for what people would consider comfort, but Merlin did not mind and kept his hands noticeably at his sides. "What is with between him and the Lady Azura? He's completely besotted."

Kadian lifted her narrows shoulder and let them fall; she turned to see what life was in the stands, they were nearly full and the tournament would continue shortly. She turned to Merlin again. "If you hadn't noticed, he fancies her _a lot_. He's been fancying her for a long while, since she was last here about three years ago. But Azura..."

Her voice faded away again like she was unsure of who she was talking about; her friend had changed since the last time she was here and it felt like Kadian was talking about a stranger. "Azura is different and she is very difficult to read. Even if she wanted a relationship with Arthur, I doubt that she has the mental capacity for it now, or ever," she said softly. "Please make sure Arthur is ready to fight today. And, we'll talk about the _shield_ thing later." Smiling at him, she spun on her toes and disappeared into the stands.

-x-

Azura sat in the same spot that she had yesterday with her hands folded tightly in her lap. She looked exhausted with her shoulders low and her gaze fixed on the empty space before her. Her eyes were absent, bewildered in her own, mysterious thoughts; her voice was barely audible when she answered Kadian if she and her brother were well.

She remained silent as the tournament began and the stands roared with noise and life. The first match was Jaiden versus a knight in a chocolate brown tunic. She did not cheer or clap as the meetings of the swords cracked like thunder through the arena. Her eyes intensely watched her brother's footwork and his sloppy technique; it was a drastic change from his style on the previous day.

A knot formed in Kadian's chest as she watched the flow of the battle shift toward the brown knight; she had witnessed someone die in this tournament before and she was afraid.

However, by sheer luck, Jaiden's foot was behind that of the brown knight, and as the knight stepped back and he tripped and fell dramatically onto his back with his sword flying from his grasp. Jaiden, dazed by the happening, lifted his sword and held the point at the knight's throat and waited for the signal to say the match was over. He turned sharply and left the knight in the dirt; he stalked out of the arena without lifting his gaze off the coarse gravel to address the crowd that chanted his name.

Valiant fought next. His technique was strong and his opponent fell like a boulder against the ground with a bone-shattering _thud_. Valiant left him to be taken by a litter and disappeared to sit in his tent until his next match.

Azura's face was unnaturally emotionless as she watched the duels, waiting for something interesting to happen. The knot in Kadian's chest had tightened during Jaiden's second match, which he won without a care in the world and left his opponent on the ground; it was sheer, dumb luck that his opponent tripped over his foot.

The duels dragged on, one after the other with each winning knight fighting twice. As Arthur duelled his second opponent of the day, Kadian's thoughts were mired with Merlin's suspicion about Knight Valiant's shield. She longed to tell Azura what Merlin had told her, but she restrained herself.

Arthur ducked and slid underneath his opponent's strike and came up with an elbow to the head, rendering the opposing knight unconscious with the strong blow.

Only three knights remained: Jaiden, Valiant, and Arthur. Uther stood and called for the knights to have a two-hour respite to regain their strength for the final duel of the day; it would determine who would face the reigning champion, Arthur. (He was not fighting in the third round).

-x-

Jaiden sat in his tent with his head in his hand and his fingers slipping through his sweaty hair. He was breathing heavily and the court physician had left after bandaging a gash on his arm that he had sustained in his previous fight. Beside him sat Azura; she placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. "Jay," Azura said softly; she met his gaze that was the same as hers, swimming in heart-breaking sadness. "You shouldn't compete like this. You could get seriously injured, or worse."

"I know," he replied weakly through a short wince as his arm flexed his wound. "But I am no coward. I will not forfeit my fight against Knight Valiant over some _bad_ news."

"Jaiden, _please_," Azura begged; her eyes were stricken with panic and fear. "Don't fight Valiant. I have this horrible feeling about him, and it is not because of how aggressive of a swordsman he is. I-it's like he _knows_ that he is going to win."

Jaiden stood suddenly, towering over his sister, and stared down into her pleading eyes. "Azura, I'm sorry. But this time, you can't persuade me to do something I don't want to do," he said sternly. He was forced to look away as her eyes grew wide and swelled with her tears.

Azura stood too, as quickly as he had, and wiped her eyes in a single, agile motion. She walked passed him and muttered darkly under her harsh breath, "Just be careful."

-x-

Kadian stepped out of sight as Azura burst from the tent angrily and stalked away; she had heard everything and strongly agreed with every word that Azura said. Knight Valiant was indeed a strong warrior, one of the best Kadian had seen, but his confidence was too great to be a natural feeling of self-pride. His head was always high, even when it looked like he was to lose his duel, but he never did. Perhaps Merlin was right and he was using magic.

Kadian sighed and went to find Merlin among the mass of people in the preparation area.

She called him over from where he was failing to placing all of Arthur's armour into a pack to be shined and mended for the next day. He raced over at the sound of her voice, leaving the armour where it was. "Merlin, we need to find out if that shield is enhanced with magic," she whispered so softly that Merlin struggled to hear. "I think that he will use it in his fight against Jaiden. Jaiden is a much stronger and better warrior than Valiant. There is no chance for Valiant to beat him fairly."

"What do you have in mind? Valiant will have it with him over the next two hours. What are we supposed to do? Walk up to him and say: 'Knight Valiant, can we borrow your shield. Why, you ask? Because we want to inspect it for magic'?" Merlin ran a hand through his dark hair as he spoke; he wanted to expose Valiant for the cheat he was, but at what cost? "You didn't tell Azura, did you? "

"No, of course not," Kadian replied bluntly, shaking her head. "But I heard her talking with Jaiden. I think that she suspects something, Merlin. She has an eye like a hawk and she saw something in Valiant's eyes that made her plead for Jaiden to forfeit. She may not know what Valiant is hiding but I think that she knows that something bad is going to happen."

"Kadian, earlier you said that we couldn't prove anything. What has changed between now and then?" Merlin asked curtly; they walked over to where he had left Arthur's armour and he shoved it forcibly into the bag.

She went to speak, but her lips pressed into a firm nod. Nothing had changed and accusing the knight of cheating would only make things worse, especially with Merlin, a manservant, the only witness. As she sighed and threw her head back in frustration, Merlin placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. "It's al right. I'll poke around and see if I can uncover anything," he said assuringly.

She smiled and her arms embraced him tightly, pulled him towards her. Merlin dropped the sack; his checks were burning at her touch and his heart pounded in his chest so loud he could hear the rataplan in his ears. Then, Kadian stepped back, her face red as a tomato. "Thank you," Kadian replied flustered and she played with a soft strand of her hair.

"I try," Merlin smiled with a shrug.

They stood, lost in each other's eyes, for a long silence. Then, they turned and went in different ways.

-x-

Kadian entered her chamber and closed the door behind her to be alone. She sat on the chair in front of the large, gilt mirror on her desk, staring into her reflection that stared back at her. Redness stained her cheeks as she tried to shake Merlin from her thoughts, but she has found that task to be more and more difficult as the days went by. Why was it so difficult? It was a funny, strange, even foreign emotion that she felt every time they were together, that twisted her insides into tight knots that only uncoiled when they were apart.

-x-

The stands were crowded as ever, roaring with applause and cheers as two knights stepped into the centre of the arena. Jaiden's eyes trailed across all the citizens that had gathered to watch him fight Valiant. His sight swept across his sister's angelic face and her eyes refused meet his. He felt terrible for yelling at her in the way he had, and because of it, he had not relaxed from his previous duel; his muscle were shaking and throbbing.

Valiant stared at Jaiden through his slightly dented helm; he could sense Jaiden's reluctance to be standing in the arena. "Is the prince of Luthrembel scared?" he taunted cockily. "There is still time to forfeit."

His head whipped around, his dark, raven hair slicing the air, and he glared at Knight Valiant. "That would be _King of Luthrembel_ to you," he snarled and slid his helmet over his head; a spark seemed to have ignited him and set a blaze the fire within. He spun his sword in his hand and lifted it above his head, ready to fight. He was no coward, nothing would make him forfeit, not even a fatal wound.

Behind the cover of the helmet, Valiant's lips stretched into a smirk and he lunged forward.

Sword met sword in a booming clash over their helms. Jaiden ducked under Valiant's arm, slicing at his mail as he moved so gracefully through the knight's stance. From behind, Jaiden rasped the edge of his sword against Valiant's helm and the opposing knight stumbled forward, turning in time to block the next blow with his shield.

Kadian saw a glimmer in Azura's eye as Jaiden agile rolled over his shoulder, out of the way of a blow from Valiant. Azura rose to her feet, clapping her hands together with a cheery smile on her face, and Kadian joined her, followed by Morgana.

Valiant grew frustrated as each of his blows met Jaiden sword in a thunderous crack, only to be guided away. Jaiden blocked with his shield and carried Valiant's blade to the opposite side as he slashed Valiant's side and tore a gaping hole in his mail.

Swiftly, Valiant spun with his sword raised and surprisingly caught Jaiden's foot as he adjusted his stance to dodge. With a quick, unforeseen pull of his foot, Jadian fell onto his back. Valiant forced his shield down upon Jaiden's, holding him captive between himself and the ground with his sword raised above his head and his foot upon Jaiden's wrist; but Jaiden would not give and repositioned his feet underneath Valiant, lifting his centre with his back bending.

Everything and everyone grew silent as a chill wind howled through the tournament ground, whipping up whirlwinds of dirt and dust. Jaiden's head rolled back and his entire body went limp and motionless; his grip on his sword released and his shield fell to the side.

Valiant stepped away and lifted his shield.

Kadian's eyes immediately shifted to Azura; she was leaning over the railing with her grip tight on the wood. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. Something strange occurred in Azura's eyes, the highlights shifted unnaturally against the sunlight as she pushed off the railing angrily with her brow furrowed. Kadian's head whipped back to the two knights; Jaiden had yet to move.

Gaius ran out and knelt beside Jaiden, removing his helmet. He pressed his old, wrinkled hands against Jaiden's hot neck, checking for a pulse.

"_Jaiden!_" Azura screamed; she leapt over the railing in a smooth motion surprising without snagging her dress. She rushed across the dirt and dropped to her knees. Brushing away his dark, sweaty hair, she called his name again in hope for a reply, but he lay motionless with his eyelids over his mystical eyes; his breath were faint. "Gaius, is he hurt? I don't see..."

"I cannot diagnosis him here, my lady," Gaius replied calmly and lifted his gaze to meet Azura's; her bright eyes pierced through him like a knife. Two soldiers walking into the arena, carrying a litter, and approached them. They placed Jaiden gently into the sheet bed between the two shafts and carried him out of the arena with Gaius walking quickly behind them.

Azura stood and picked up Jaiden's sword that lay glimmering in the sunlight. She turned swiftly to Valiant whose face smitten with pride like he had done nothing wrong; but she knew all too well that he had indeed done something wrong, something against the rules.

The shield that held the crest of the Lightwing family fell from the brackets to the earth on top of the pile of all the other shields that had failed to achieve the title of champion.

Kadian gracefully stepped down from the stands and crossed the ground to stand before the paralysed Azura, who blinked once as she came to reality from her rattling thoughts. "Azura, come on," Kadian said softly. "If anyone can help your brother, Gaius can."

Furious and with her cheeks hot, Azura turned to follow Kadian. As she gradually turned, she let her enraged eyes sweep over Arthur's concerned face; he knew that it was Jaiden he was suppose to fight in the finals, not Valiant.

-x-

In the physician's cluttered chamber, Azura held her brother's limp hand, praying for him to wake from his dead-like state; but not even her delicate tones could break through. Kadian and Merlin stood behind Gaius as he examined Jaiden, checking his vitals and looking for signs of injury that would explain the prince's state. He discovered two strange, circular marks on the side of Jaiden's neck. He sat back with his lips pressed together as he thought and swept his weary gaze across them all. "Look at this, all of you. What does it look like to you?" he asked suddenly, beckoning for Kadian and Merlin to approach. A stubby, trembling finger pointed to the purple marks on Jaiden's throbbing neck.

"Looks to be a snake bite," Merlin and Kadian replied in unison; their voices rang together perfectly. Gaius stared at them awkwardly with a white eyebrow raised.

Hearing their conjoined voices, Azura glanced over at the two marks; her stomach twisted and she felt her throat tighten and her mouth grew dry. The punctures were fairly small, about a centimetre diameter, and Jaiden's flesh had turned a grey-violet; the vein popped with strain and was predominantly visible.

Azura sat back in her seat and squeezed Jaiden's hand firmly where her fingers turned red. Her eyes filled with an uncanny fury that would scare even the bravest of knights. "I saw the snake..." she whispered, shifting her eyes slowly onto them. "It came out of Knight Valiant's shield."

Kadian and Merlin exchanged puzzled looks. There was no conceivable way that Azura could have seen the snakes; Valiant's back had been to her. Kadian stepped toward Azura as if to embrace her and coo her from her fantasy, but she stopped and choose her words carefully. "We have no proof to convict Valiant," Kadian stated sorrowfully. "Are you sure you saw it, Azura? You were sitting..."

"I know what I saw!" Azura hissed and stood with a start. She glared at Kadian. "Did you _know_ he was using magic? Did you _suspect_ him of it before now?" Her voice was harsh and rash and was odd to be coming from her, a princess.

"Yes... we suspected it. Merlin saw the eyes of the snakes blink while getting Arthur's armour this morning," Kadian explained gently, trying not to rouse Azura's anger. She glanced at Merlin adouringly before returning her full attention to Azura.

"Then, let's bring this to Uther," Azura stated sternly, clenching a fist at her side. Jaiden's pain-stricken face carried her eyes away and her scowl fell to a frown. "Gaius... can you cure him?" Her voice was soft again with her sadness noticeable in her weighing tone.

Gaius nodded hesitantly as he glanced at his collection of herbs and medicines. "I need venom from the snake in order to conjure up an antidote. If I do not give him the antidote soon, I am afraid he will die." He was always franc to anyone who asked anything of him; perhaps that was a flaw, or maybe it was a blessing.

Azura sat back down and placed her head in her hands, concealing her tears that swam down her hot cheeks; her sobs were muffled but even then, they bellowed through the chamber.

Kadian, hearing Azura's sob, took Merlin by the wrist and pulled Merlin from the chamber. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he reached up with his own, taking his hand in his. "Merlin," she said with a weak smile, "Valiant will be at the banquet, that'll give you time to sneak into his chambers..."

"Why is it _always_ me?" Merlin complained and dropped his hand.

Kadian, perturbed, took her hand from his shoulder and smacked him. "Because I will be at the banquet as well. I fear for what will happen to Azura if Jaiden dies..." She paused realizing that Merlin did not care for Azura's well-being. "And, I do not think that you would want the death of the rightful king of Luthrembel stained on your hands."

Merlin sighed. "Whatever you say, _my lady_," he replied curtly with a joking grin and a slight dip of his head. He departed down the corridor.

-x-

Merlin's hand rasped against Kadian's chamber door that morning when the stars twinkled in the sky. Her door opened after the fourth rasp; she smiled when she saw Merlin opposite of her. She wore a stunning ice-blue gown with long, trailing sleeves and a form-fitting skirt. Heat rushed to his cheeks when he saw how dazzling she looked; she was truly the princess, a person whom he was unworthy to have as a friend.

He held up the mutilated snake's head that he grasped tightly in his hand for he was afraid that it might leap out of his hand and grow the rest of its body back. "Gaius is preparing an antidote now. We need to tell Arthur," he said, nearly babbling again. Kadian nodded with a pleased smile and followed him through the halls.

-x-

Arthur's chamber door was ajar when they approached and they walked in without announcing themselves; the prince jumped when he saw them out of the corner of his eyes. His chamber was fairly neat with old plates with spoiled food on the long table and a pile of dirty laundry in the corner that Merlin had procrastinated in clean, it was an improvement than it had been. A small fire kindled in the fireplace, spreading warmth into the cool chamber.

"What do you want?" Arthur asked annoyed and shifted his unamused eyes from Merlin to his sister.

"Valiant is using a magic shield. The three snakes, they come alive. One of them bit Jaiden during his match earlier," Merlin replied in his fast, rapid voice. He placed the snake's head on the corner of the table, avoiding the flies that hovered over the dirty plates.

Arthur chuckled deeply finding his servant's accusations comical. He glanced curious at the snake's head humouring them. "I may not like the guy, but I don't think he'd use magic," Arthur stated meeting Kadian's gaze with the same blue eyes that stared at him; her expression made him rethink his stance. "Do you have any proof?"

Merlin picked up the snake's head and held it before Arthur, tracing the slick scales with his thumb. "This is one of the snakes' heads. I cut it off myself." Merlin seemed oddly proud of himself to have accomplished such a magnificent feat. "Gaius is preparing an antidote and then Jaiden will tell you what happened," Merlin added and panted for breath.

Arthur took the snake head hastily from Merlin and examined closely. The scales were slimy against his fingertips and the fangs looked real enough in the dim light. "Kadian, do you share these accusations?" he asked, looking up from the snake's entrancing red eyes.

"Yes," Kadian nodded. "I've seen the wound and it is definitely from that snake. I've never seen anything its like in Camelot, have you?"

"No," Arthur admitted and placed the head down. "I still don't know. Merlin's word as a servant isn't enough. And seeing that you didn't see the snakes, where does that leave me?"

"You'll have Jaiden's word once the antidote is given. Uther will trust the word of another knight, especially Jaiden," Kadian pointed out and walked over to take the snake's head in her hands; she grimaced at the touch of the slime.

"Yes, but is that _enough_?" Arthur pressed, taking a deep, calming breath.

"Arthur, Valiant will use the snakes and kill you in the finals tomorrow," Merlin stated fiercely. He placed tightly clenched fist on the edge of the table, rattling the plates and startling the buzzing flies. "I've seen the snakes with my own eyes. There were three of them, now there's two."

Kadian sighed; Arthur was not seeing reason, he rarely did when it involved magic. He was just like his father, ignorant. "Arthur, if you don't believe us, believe Azura. She saw the snake emerge from the shield and bite Jaiden," Kadian whispered with a soft, reluctant sigh.

"Then where is she? She should be here..." Arthur said. His eyes seemed to widened at the mention of Azura, and Kadian could tell that his heart was racing by the increased speed of the vein on his neck that had appeared when they had walked in.

Kadian rolled her eyes; he was so naive. "Her brother is on the verge of death. He's all she has left, Arthur."

Arthur turned away from Merlin and Kadian with a heavy sigh. If he was to do this, it would be a stretch, more than a stretch.. If anything were to change and he made the accusations, he could be mired a coward. "Very well," he said with reluctance, finally breaking the silence that had grown as he pondered. "Tell Gaius to have Jaiden up in an hour and tell Azura (he caught his breath) that she should be there."

Merlin nodded, ready to race away to deliver the messages, and waited for Kadian to turn. Arthur met Kadian's thankful stare and he grinned, forcing her to turn and exit his chamber with Merlin before he could mutter his comment.

-x-

Slowly, sounds of the chamber came to find, faintly at first and then he heard them clearly, each octave that the normal ear would not be able to make out. The numbness in his muscles was gradually fading and he flexed his stiff fingers. He filled his lungs with the crisp air and as he exhaled, his eyelids pealed back and he stared up at the fuzzy ceiling.

His sight grew clear and he could count the lines on the wooden planks that were sewn together with thin, grey cobwebs. The sunlight was bright and he blinked to adjust. He groaned and went to sit up.

"Ah, easy," an old, wise voice said beside him. "The poison is still in your system."

Jaiden turned his head, hearing his stiff neck _pop!_ as he moved. The court physician was sitting beside him. "What happened?" he said; then he remembered and sat up straight with a start, feeling how weak his energy was. "There was a snake, it came out of Valiant's shield."

"Yes, yes," Gaius smiled and guided Jaiden back so he was lying down. "We know. Arthur is calling the court into session as we speak." He turned and reached for a small phial that rested on the small bench. "Drink this, it will replenish your e-energy." Placing the phial in Jaiden's hand, Gaius sat forward and examined the prince's neck. "Remarkable, the wounds are gone."

Jaiden placed the phial to his lips and downed the liquid in one gulp; it tasted bitter and he grimaced at the after-taste. He felt odd; even with the antidote, his body still ached and his muscles were tingling, unable to completely shake the numbness. His eyelids felt heavy and he forced them to stay open. "I'm a fast healer," Jaiden said blatantly with his voice weak. The beat of his heart was slow, slower than it should be. "Gaius, listen..."

"Save your energy," Gaius said and took the phial from his hand. He could see the weariness that suddenly came over Jaiden and it puzzled him. "I must fetch some fresh water. When I return, I'll help you to your feet and we'll meet the court."

The physician left him no room for argument and he quickly, as quick as a person his age could, exited his chamber. Jaiden stared after him, feeling his breaths grow fainter. He strived to fight the weariness, but as he lay back, he found it was impossible to fight it any longer. He gazed up at the ceiling, counting the blurring lines in the planks.

Something moved beneath the blankets thrown across his body. A bulge emerged in the sheet and crept up the crook of his arm swiftly, nudging his side with a sleek motion. Then, Jaiden heard a faint hiss and threw back the sheet; his heart racing with panic.

The snake looked up at him with tiny, beady eyes that were stained red with evil. Its long, ivory fangs were bared and its slitted tongue lashed the air violently.

His screams gargled the pool of his blood that welled in his mouth. The snake had bit him and tore his throat; spraying his crimson blood over the sheets. Jaiden's body convulsed as new poison swam through his body with his last heartbeats; the remnant of the antidote was useless. His eyes rolled back in their sockets, the whites staring up at the ceiling.

_Find happiness, my sister,_ was his last thought; he had hoped that his words would find her and he would never know. His body went limp.

-x-

The court was shaken when Arthur called a session without his father's knowing. Each member stood in their respective positions, all except Gaius who was still treating Jaiden in his chamber. Uther stormed in, hand on the golden hilt of his sword, and spun to face the court and his son when he reached the head of the Hall. Knight Valiant stood beside the king with his arms at his sides with one hand, noticeably, ready to draw his sword.

Arthur stood in the centre of the chamber, gazing at everyone around him; he felt self-conscience with the way they all were staring quizzically at him. Behind the prince was Merlin tapping his fingers against his thigh, anxiously waiting for the proceedings to go on. In the far right of the chamber, Kadian stood by Azura holding her wrist comfortingly.

"Why have you called the court?" Uther demanded with a dark stare set on his son.

The prince drew his sword and held it firmly in his hand. "I accuse Knight Valiant of using a magic shield," Arthur stated and looked from his father to Valiant;. their expressions were stern and furious, and were frighteningly similar.

"This is absurd," Valiant protested with a deep chuckle; he turned to the King with an I'm-innocent stare.

"Do you have any proof to support these accusations?" Uther asked, turning his eyes onto his son; he did not look like he was in the mood for disappointment.

"Yes, I do," Arthur answered with a curt nod. He extended a hand toward Merlin and grasped the snake's head in his hands; he held the head out to his father. Inconspicuously, Valiant's eyes widened and he choked on his breath.

Uther examined the snake's head and motioned Valiant forward to compared it to those of the snakes on his shield, which the knight bore at request. As Uther brushed his fingers across the shield, Arthur warned for him to be careful.

"I do not see how..." Uther began and furrowed his brow as he turned to Arthur.

"Obviously, he's not going to let us all see the snakes," Arthur interrupted abruptly.

Gaius slipped into the rear chamber and beckoned Merlin to him with a silent motion of his hand. Kadian glanced over; she had a feeling that twisted her intestines, and by the haunting look in Gaius' eye, she knew something bad had happened. She gripped Azura's wrist tighter.

"Then how am I supposed to know what you say is true?" Uther growled, squeezing the snake's head to where the red eye's bulged out of their sockets.

"I have witnesses," Arthur stated and turned to see if Jaiden was waiting with the physician to plead his case. "First, er, (he was unsure of the proper title to use) Jaiden of Luthrembel."

Arthur glanced worriedly at his father and walked over to Gaius and Merlin to see where his witness was. Merlin turned to him slowly with his dark-shaded eyes on his worn boots. "H-he's dead," he whispered softly, choking over his voice.

Arthur sighed, hiding his rage, and turned back to his impatient father who gritted his teeth; there was a visible vein on the side of the King's temple. "I'm afraid that the witness is dead," Arthur declared with his voice quaking with fear.

Everyone turned as Azura's shrill gasp; she had pulled her wrist free and buried her face in her palm. She sobbed hysterically with her knees nearly buckling at the violent tremors her body made. Kadian embraced her warmly, pulling her to her despite her attempts to flee; she felt Azura's cold tears through her dress and she shivered, holding back her own.

"And what of our other witness?" Uther demanded looking at Arthur.

Arthur turned to his sister and Azura with wide, hopeful eyes but Kadian shook her head and mouth an apology. "I am afraid that the Lady Azura's word would no longer seem plausible..."

Uther took one, gaping step toward Arthur and his glare intensified. "Then what I am to make of these accusations? You have no proof or any witnesses," he snarled with his teeth bared like he was an angered wolf; the creases of his face were deep as he furrowed his brow and wrinkled his nose like he smelt something awful.

"Merlin, my servant, has seen the snakes," Arthur stammered with his heart leaping from his chest. He pointed toward Merlin who stepped forward. Azura sobs were dim in the background, but Arthur heard them like they were screaming in his ears. What he would give to be the one holding her, stroking her fair hair as she sobbed for her brother.

"You make these outrageous assumptions off the word of your _servant_!" Uther bellowed; his face turned red as a ripe tomato and the vein on his neck was throbbed in its purple tone.

Merlin rushed forward. "Sire, I've seen the snakes with my own two eyes..."

"How _dare_ you interrupt! Guards!" Uther growled throwing an arm up as if Merlin was close to be hit. Two of his guards ran forward and seized Merlin by the arms, pulling him forcibly toward the exit.

Valiant stepped forward. "My lord," he said softly. Everything but Azura's sobs went silent.

"Wait," Uther told the guards who stopped dead in their tracks.

"I do not wish to see him punished on my own accord," Valiant stated averting Arthur's cold stare.

Uther let his eyes slip from Valiant and he gazed down at his son who was wide-eyed with astonishment with how quickly the matter had been dismissed. "See, this is how a true knight acts." Arthur could hear the disappointment in his father's voice and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"If Arthur wishes to withdraw from the tournament, then I am honoured to accept," Valiant grinned, turning to the prince whose head whipped up.

"Arthur, is that true? Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?" Uther asked in a softened voice.

"No."

"Then what do I make of this?"

"I-I..." Arthur sighed. The worst-case scenario had happened above all others. He stood as a complete fool before the entire court, his father, and even Azura whose sobs lanced him like no blade could. There was nothing to turn to, his case was lost and he sheathed his sword. He turned stiff to Valiant and dipped his head apologetically. "I am sorry, Knight Valiant. I withdraw my accusations."

"I accept your apology," the knight replied with a curt nod.

Without another word from anyone, Arthur turned and left the chamber with his head low in shame.

Azura pushed Kadian away and stormed from the chamber with tears streaming down her cheeks. Knight Valiant feigned a saddened expression as he left the chamber along with the rest. He felt nothing toward killing Jaiden and the pain he was causing Azura. He was proud of what he had done.

-x-

Azura entered her chambers, locking the door behind her. She collapsed onto her bed and threw her head into her pillow, crying out in agony, fury, and hatred. Her fists slammed against the mattress. Now she was alone; it was all because of Valiant. There was rasping on her door, but she did not open it. Someone was calling her name, but she could not match the voice to a face. All she could hear was Jaiden's comforting voice, but she knew that it was not him. He was dead, leaving her alone, _forever_.

-x-

When twilight descended up the horizon with the clouds like smeared blood on the dark orange sky, Kadian watched her brother through her window as he practised for the match against Valiant. He had sacked Merlin of his job. After about a half hour of knocking Azura's door, Kadian had given up trying to get her to leave the chamber. Kadian's hand was hurting and was still beat red. Gaius had concluded that a second snake had been sent to silence Jaiden once and for all.

Her brother was aggravated, Kadian could see it in the way he wield his sword outside with child-like stances and sloppy swings.

"Is that _really_ how you sword fight?" a soft voice said from behind him. He turned to see Azura standing behind him with a sword in her hand. "I cannot _believe_ you've gotten as far as you have with that pitiful excuse for a stance."

Arthur gawked at her, the way her dress billowed in the wind, and the way her hair had been pulled up, into a bun where strands of her hair flowed with the wind. She was speaking to him! Oh how his heart jumped for joy. "How are you?" he asked softly, lowering his sword.

Kadian opened the window and leaned out to get a closer look. Azura did not looked pleased and did not answer him as she began to circle around him. With the way her dress complimented her, Arthur's eyes fell from her face. "Do you honestly think you can defeat Valiant, with or without the snakes? You have a sloppy stance and you are too heavy on your feet," she stated, pointing the tip of the blade at his boots.

His eyes were distracted, glued to her chest, and he did not answer.

"In Luthrembel, our knights are trained to be agile and quick with their feet and not necessarily powerful with their attacks," Azura continued. "It does not matter how forceful your blows are, it where they are implemented. You would be fighting Jaiden tomorrow if Valiant hadn't..." She drifted off and took a deep breath. "I know what I saw. Valiant has seen you fight and has watched your technique as you have his. In order to defeat that low-life rat, you must change your style... _Arthur_!_"_

"What?" Arthur replied dumbfounded.

"Stop staring at my breasts and pay attention!" Azura growled and stabbed the ground with the point of the sword, nearly stabbing his foot.

"Come on, you wouldn't be able to land a single blow me," Arthur stated, challengingly.

"Oh _really_? You really are full of yourself, aren't you?" Azura replied and cocked her head to the side as she tore the sword from the ground and held it with both hands. "We'll see about that." The blade trembled slightly in her grasp.

Arthur chuckled and threw a weak, simple blow, one that could have easily knocked the blade from her small hands. As the sword went toward her, Azura stepped into his stance, eluding the strike, and was behind him in a flash. Her knee went against his and he dropped down with her sword against his neck. "And you're supposed to be the Prince of Camelot," she sighed and lifted away the blade. "My father had me learn how to defend myself. I may be far from the skill of a knight, but I am not a helpless sap like most of the women._"_

"That's not fair, you led me to believe that..." Arthur rose to his feet and faced her, feeling his cheeks burning with embarrassment

"I'm an archer, not a swords-woman. I deceived you in order to have the advantage," Azura replied, running her fingers through her bangs. "Do you want my help or not? If _I_ can take you down with only a few steps, I doubt Valiant will have much difficulty."

"Al right," Arthur sighed.

Azura smiled faintly and the training began. First, Azura placed both weapons down and told Arthur that he need to keep her away from him. She stepped forward; he stepped back. Cause and effect. Gradually, Azura picked up the pace, weaving from side to side and sweeping her feet against the ground. She danced around him, spinning to avert his mind from her feet to the motions of her body. He stepped back and she placed a foot behind his, and he fell back. "Strike one," she whispered so softly. "Again."

Kadian watched as Arthur was taken down a several more times, each falling hard on his bum. It took a long while, but Arthur got the hint that offence was also the best defence. When she stepped forward again, he stepped forward to the the side. He held his hand before her throat and gently brought her to the ground. "I'm a fast learner," he said and helped her back up with a quick pull; there was little weight to her.

"I hope, for your sake, that's true," she replied, reaching for the swords. She tossed him his and spun hers in her hand. "Let's try again, shall we?"

"Yeah," Arthur nodded and they began. The silver blades whirled through the air, clashing blow against block. However, the brilliant part of the sparring was the footwork along with the sword-craft. Arthur had gotten quicker, but Azura was still a bit faster. When he got behind her, she stepped back into his stance and spun back to face him. His face flushed red when he saw how close she was, there faces nearly together, her sweet scent, like honeysuckle, wafting from her hair. There was a slight grin on his face that was soon washed away as Azura brought her foot further into his stance and swept one of his feet, holding the point of her blade at his throat as he fell back, the sword falling from his hand.

"Don't get distracted," Azura whispered so softly Arthur was barely able to hear it. Her head shook a sad thought away and she gripped the sword tighter.

Arthur stood up and they started again. After five minutes of neither gaining ground, Arthur grew frustrated. His strikes grew stronger and his footwork quickened with his impatience. With one quick movement, Azura fell back against the ground and the point of the blade was at her throat. He withdrew his sword and waited to see what her reply was.

Azura gazed up at him but her head fell to the side as tears dripped from the corners of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks and to the ground. At first, Arthur thought he had hurt her, but when she stood, he could tell that he had done nothing. "Zu..." he said, stepping toward her.

Her glossy eyes stopped tearing and fury emerge through the sadness. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she screamed at him, picking up the sword, ready to swing it at him in rage. She spun around, however, and entered the castle without another word.

Kadian sighed as Arthur stared after her, half hoping that she would come back. But Kadian knew that she would not. She shut the window, turning at the sound of a hollow knock on her door.

Merlin stood on the opposite side of the door with a large, statue of a dog in his shaking arms. She let him inside and kicked the door shut as he placed the stone dog down. Their new plan was to reveal the snakes during the fight using a magic spell inconspicuously; it was the only way to show that Valiant was a fraud, a cold-blooded murderer.

"Are you having difficulty, Merlin?" Kadian asked, taking a seat on the edge of her bed and fixing the ruffles of her skirt. "Did you bring the book Gaius gave you?"

"Yes," Merlin replied, retrieving the leather-bound book from the inside of his jacket; the physician had kept the volume hidden for years and decided that Merlin could put it to greater use than a dust-gatherer. He dropped it onto the edge of the bed beside Kadian, flipping it open the a page which he had marked.

Kadian watched as he turned toward the motionless, snarling statue that stared at them with stone eyes. He clasped his hands together and incanted, "_Regslam florem_."

A candle was blown out from its perch beside the window and Merlin turned back to Kadian, slowly opening his hands. In his palms rested a tiny, blue flower that made her smile when he placed it in her hand.

"I don't think that is the spell you need," Kadian laughed, running her thumb across the small, velvety petals. Pink burned her cheeks as she held the tiny flower between her fingers; it looked so delicate, like the blowing wind could destroy it with one breath.

"I-I thought the room could use something bright," Merlin said, turning back to the open page with red cheeks. His dark eyes scanned the page and he turned back to the statue. "_Bobae arduthe arisan quickem _."

The statue stared back at him with the same, stationary eyes carved in stone.

He tried again and again, each time with no luck. Merlin turned his gaze onto Kadian, who was still bewitched by the tiny flower in her hand. "You try it."

Kadian looked up suddenly, like he had disturbed her peace. "I can't, Merlin. There is no use in me learning or accomplishing the spell. I cannot mutter the enchantment tomorrow. I will be surrounded my guards, civilians, and not to mention my father will be near me. I would be killed before I could explain."

Merlin dropped his gaze to the wrinkle quilt on the bed, where his hands grasped in frustration. "I'm sorry," he said, slowly lifting his eyes. "I keep forgetting that you're..."

"It's al right, Merlin," Kadian smiled. Then, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I am going to retire for the evening."

Merlin nodded and collected the spell book, tucking it back into his jacket. "I'll be going then," he said, stepping toward the door.

"And, Merlin," she called after him. He spun so quickly, it was like he was a top. "Take that ugly _thing_ with you. It's staring at me."

Laughing, Merlin lifted the statue into his arms, which had drained so much energy from his from the journey to her chamber. Kadian held the door for him as he left the chamber, and she sent him a scowl when he dipped his head before walking down the corridor.

The chamber had grown silent, too quiet for her liking, but she dealt with it nonetheless. After preparing for bed, she blew out the remaining candles and crawled under the warm sheets. On the night table beside her, Kadian had rested the tiny blue flower.

-x-

Morning came quickly and soon the sun rose to be in the centre of the sky. Azura had not slept. All she did was gaze out her window at the white stars, just thinking about anything that came to mind. She had no idea what she was going to do now. What she needed was her brother, but that was impossible; he was dead, and she was alone.

As dawn slowly crept up into the sky, she changed out of her clothes and pulled her hair back into a messy bun. She went to look in the mirror, but she could not meet her own stare. The gown she wore was of white silk sashed with cyan-blue. Its translucent sleeves dropped toward the ground at her wrists and she looked as ravishing as ever. Azura walked over to the idle chair across the room and lifted her silver cloak off it, tying it around her neck. It held the crest of Luthrembel and Azura wore it proudly, knowing that she alone had the right to wear it.

Then, she walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed a sheath that resided there, tying it to the cyan-blue sash at her waist; she was happy to see the fabric was strong enough to hold it.

Azura left the room and walked slowly through rousing corridors, her eyes wandering aimless across the various items and banners on the walls. Her cloak billowed in the cool air behind her as she turned the corner and climbed a set of stairs.

She was near Arthur's chamber and her feet dragged her inside, despite her wanting to continue forward. "I got it," she said to the servant that was strapping on Arthur's armour. The servant bowed his head and rushed out of the room, thankful for the excuse to escape.

Arthur turned and gazed at Azura; he wondered why she was here after their skirmish last night. Her hands rose to finished securing the hauberk to his chest and as they did, he felt her soft skin brush against this neck.. "I am sorry for yelling at you, Arthur," she whispered and let her hands hesitate on the hauberk before they fell to her sides.

"Don't be," Arthur replied breathlessly, "I crossed a line. I should be the one apologizing."

"Suit yourself," Azura said and brushed her hair from her face. She turned and picked up his helmet from the table, letting her fingertips trace the dents the tournament had made. She handed it to him quickly, unable to keep it in her grasp any longer; it reminded her of the last time she help suit Jaiden.

Arthur smiled slightly, catching her gaze before it fell to the floor. He took his hand and lifted her chin, setting her bright eyes onto him. "I know you're upset, but could you smile just once? For me?" he asked tenderly; he thought about kissing her then, but she turned away with pink cheeks.

She walked toward the door. "Be careful," she whispered and left; it was the same two words she said to Jaiden before his match with Valiant.

Arthur followed her slowly and watched as she descended down the stairs without glancing back at him. It hurt him to see her this upset, on the verge of crying with each breath, but it made him feel better that she had come to apologize, though it was unnecessary. He followed her and sighed when she met with Kadian and Morgana. Kadian met his gaze and shook her head as she and Morgana led Azura to the stands, protectively.

-x-

Kadian saw the sadness in Azura's eyes as they stared at her feet as she walked. "You don't have to watch, y'know," she said as they passed Valiant who was readying himself for the last match, swing his sword practising.

"I want to watch Arthur kick that his arse," Azura growled, looking up with a changed face.

Kadian chuckled softly. "No, you want to watch Arthur's bum while he beats Valiant to the ground," she corrected and nodded; Azura's cheeks turned pink and she glanced away.

"I never thought I'd see the day that a girl actually fancied Arthur," Morgana said, fixing her dark curls at the sides of her face.

"Shut up, both of you," Azura snapped with her facing burning. "Now is not the time for silly romance."

"Keep telling yourself that, Azura. Arthur likes a challenge. He will not back down. I _saw_ you go into his chamber a few moments ago," Morgana stated.

Kadian looked at Azura, waiting to hear her reply.

"How's Merlin, Kadian? Did you think I wouldn't notice?" Azura smirked. Kadian just glared at her and the three of them took their seats in the front row beside the King's chair.

Valiant walked out into the tournament grounds first and the crowd cheered. Azura's eyes fixed a glare on the knight, wishing that he would burst into flames right then and there. However, he did not spontaneously combust and he waited for his opponent to come and face him for the glory and honour of being crowned the champion.

Azura, Kadian and Morgana rose to their feet and joined all those around them in applauding and cheering as Prince Arthur walked out with his chain mail shining like diamonds in the sunlight. His eyes scanned the crowd and stopped on Azura as he took his placed before Valiant. Azura met his gaze and he gave her a slight nod before he placed his helmet over his head. Kadian and Morgana exchanged curious glances.

The two swords clanged together as both men showed that they were ready to begin. The both retracted their blades and put their weight on their back foot, standing with their shields forward and their swords pointed at their opponent. Kadian and Azura were on the edge of their seat, watching intensely as Valiant and Arthur stepped forward and met in combat.

Hearts raced as the thought of the snakes emerging forth from Valiant's shield and striking Arthur in the throat crossed their minds. Where was Merlin?

Arthur ducked out of the way, slicing at Valiant's chain mail. Furiously, Valiant charged at Arthur and his sword was met by the prince's shield. Their swords clashed angrily and the pace grew faster and faster. Arthur ducked down again, jabbing his sword at Valiant's feet. The yellow knight stumbled back. Arthur pressed forward, alternating sword and shield. Valiant fought to stand his ground and pushed the prince back to gain his lost balance. Arthur spun and his sword clashed against Valiant's shield. He moved in close and they exchanged blows and blocks until Arthur kicked Valiant in the stomach and swung his sword at his helmet, knocking it off.

The crowd applauded and the uproar grew louder. Even Uther was impressed on how his son's technique had changed.

Valiant stumbled back and gawked at Arthur surprised; the difference in Arthur's movements was something he had not predicted. Breathing heavily, Arthur removed his helmet as well. The swordsmen glared at each other through the heat of the sun. Sweat trickled down the sides of their faces as they readied themselves for more. Arthur glanced over at Azura who's hand was to her mouth and her eyes stained with the ghost of the battle between Jaiden and Valiant. If he could accomplish anything in this fight if he did not win, he would hurt Valiant in the way he shared Azura's pain.

Valiant swung and Arthur's shield got in his way. Valiant stepped forward, onto Arthur's foot, and thrust his shield upward. Arthur's head threw back, blood launching into the air and landing like squished bugs on the ground. Arthur fell to the ground and Valiant's foot held down Arthur's shield. The yellow knight raised his sword above his head and shoved it downward. Arthur rolled to the side, slipping his arm out of his shield, and stumbled to his feet, only a sword in his hand.

Sword met sword and Arthur's clashed against the ground. He hollowed out his stomach, then leaned back to avoid another strike. Valiant pushed the prince back against the wall and Azura and Kadian jumped to their feet. Arthur grabbed hold of the arm which wielded Valiant's sword and fought off another blow. Valiant was flung to the side as Arthur twisted the knight's elbow. He stumbled back and Arthur stood before him with open hands, ready to fight without any weapon.

Azura turned her head away and saw Merlin standing concealed behind a wall. His arm was out stretched and his lips were moving, but she could not hear what he was saying. How she could seem him from that distance, no one knew, but all she saw him cause the snakes to emerge out of Valiant's shield. Her head wiped back to Arthur who gazed at the snakes in utter shock.

Uther's voice could be heard through the concerned gasps from the crowd as Valiant scolded the snakes, "Now we know what kind of knight he is."

The snakes slid out of the shield and landed on the ground, hissing and baring their venomous teeth at Arthur. Cautious steps brought the prince away from the snakes as they slithered toward him. "_Arthur!_" a distressed voice called.

Arthur turned and caught a sword that was thrown for him. He did not see who threw it and slicing off the heads of the two remaining snakes. Valiant stared in disbelief as his snakes were killed before him. Arthur glanced down at the sword and noticed something was engraved in the steel above the hilt. It read: _Jaiden Lightwing_. Turning to see Azura give him a nod, Arthur jumped back as Valiant swung at him.

Valiant kept coming forward and Arthur blocked his strikes and stepped back. Azura's words from the night before rang through his head. She had been right. He ducked under the rival blade and cleverly placed his foot behind Valiant's. His other foot spun him around and as he checked the knight's knee, his sword dug under Valiant's breastplate.

His sword fell to the ground and Valiant lost his breath from the force of the steel penetrating his flesh. Blood spilled onto the ground as Knight Valiant dropped to his knees and the sword was pulled from his body.

Arthur knelt down beside Valiant and growled in his ear, "You should not have killed _my_ girl's brother." He pushed Valiant against the ground and Valiant did not sit back up and lay dead in his own pool of crimson blood.

The crowd roared with applause and cheers. Arthur rose to his feet and gazed at each and everyone of them. After a moment, he held the sword in his hand at eye level. The name written on the steel made this victory seem meaningless to him, even if he was the champion. Arthur cleaned Valiant's tainted blood off Jaiden's sword with the bottom of his tunic and turned from facing his father. He walked forward, resting the sword across his two hands.

Everyone went silent as Arthur approached the silent Azura and knelt down on the ground before her, holding the sword up. Their eyes met and Azura's saddened face started to glow as she smiled; he smiled too. She reached over the wall separating her from Arthur and her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her brother's sword. Arthur stood and stepped close to Azura. "I wish this fight had been between me and him. Thank you," he said softly.

"I would not trust my brother's sword with anyone else," Azura smiled. "The gratitude is all mine. In a way, I believe that he was in this match after all." She gazed at the sword for a moment with glossy eyes before she sealed it away in the sheath. Azura stepped back and pointed at Arthur. Kadian began to applaud, followed by Morgana and then the rest of the gathered joined in as a wave. The wave returned to Azura and her hands came together as she applauded him with a child-like smile.

-x-

Pine torches illuminated the hall as everyone gathered to celebrate Prince Arthur's victory. Kadian stood by Merlin with her hands folded behind her back, trying her hardest not to sneak a glance at him. She wore a ravishing, indigo gown that was sashed with dove-grey with a gathered skirt and sleeves trimmed with grey braids. On her head was a silver circlet of chains that held tiny, glistening sapphires in a Celtic-design.

Uther introduced her brother and he stepped out before all of those in the room. He wore shined chain mail underneath a clean red tunic and a red cloak that hung on his shoulders. A gold crown studded with shilling-sized diamonds was placed just above his ears, symbolizing him as the prince of Camelot. Morgana stood near him, garbed in a beautiful red form-fitting gown, and took his arm hesitantly, greeting him with the title: Champion. Applause rose through the room as they walked down the gap between the rows of Uther's guests.

Once they reached the end of the rows, the applauding ceased and all the guests returned to their mingling. Morgana turned away from Arthur and walked passed Kadian and Merlin to a chair in the corner. She knew that Arthur should be with Azura, and frankly, she did not want to be with him either. Kadian nudged Merlin for he was being too quiet, "Thank you."

"For what?" Merlin replied, smiling with a slight blush.

"For revealing the snakes, of course," Kadian smiled. "No one else may know, but it really does matter, to me anyway."

"Oh, it was nothing," Merlin said and combed a hand through his dark hair.

"It definitely was _something_, Merlin," Kadian said, "you made it so I didn't lose my brother to Valiant like Azura had. It truly means a lot." She stepped closer and embraced him with arms around his neck.

Speechless, Merlin's arms slowly rose and embraced her across the back. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body, that was how close she was. Pink slowly faded into his cheeks and no doubt in hers as well.

"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a laughing voice said and Kadian pulled away from Merlin, folding her arms behind her back and her gaze to the floor. Slowly, she raised her eyes to see that Arthur was standing before them. "Merlin, I'd like a word," Arthur said.

Nodding red-faced, Merlin and Arthur walked away from Kadian, who murmured under her breath to her brother, "_I hate you._" Sighing, Kadian went on to roam through the chamber looking for someone to talk to while her brother stole Merlin away, probably reinstating his job as man servant. She walked by her father, keeping her face out of his view, and glanced out at the balcony. There was a woman sitting on the ledge looking over her shoulder at the fiery sunset. It was Azura, nonetheless. Kadian thought about joining her on the balcony, but decided that Azura would probably ignore her presence or even yell to be left alone.

Azura's face was glowing in the orange rays of the descending sun. Her blue eyes seemed to blend with the colour to form a purple. A chill breeze swept her blonde hair from her face as a sigh escaped her lips. She was at peace, not a single thought crossed her mind; not even the death of her brother nor her confusing feelings toward Arthur Pendragon. However, she felt lonely as she gazed at the dark grey clouds against the warm sky. Though the voice in her head did not speak, Azura was bothered by the strange emptiness that was now in the pit of her stomach. "Here," a soothing voice said as a silver goblet was put in front of her gaze, "you deserve it."

Her fingers embraced the goblet and Azura shifted her eyes to see who was standing beside her. At first, she thought it was her brother, but then she realized that it was only Arthur. Turning her gaze away, she took a sip of the liquid inside the goblet. As it wet her lips, her fingers almost let the goblet drop. "It's spiked..." she noted gazing up at him.

"Don't let my father know," Arthur smiled. "You need a full bottle, but we'll keep it as it is."

Azura shook her head and took another sip for it tasted good as warmth filled her throat. "Thanks," she said softly before turning her head to face the sunset once more. Occasionally, she sipped at the spiked wine, smiling like a cat as it trickled down the back of her throat. Arthur stayed quiet and just followed her gaze. It had been a long time since he stayed out to watch the sun disappear and the moon appear. Just as the sun said its last good-byes, Azura turned back to Arthur, "I'm leaving for Luthrembel in two days."

He turned to her, shocked. "Why?" he asked.

"I'm taking my brother's body back to be buried beside my mother and father," she said. She downed the rest of the goblet's contents and hiccuped after she swallowed. A small giggle escaped her. "Congratulations on your triumph, Arthur. I'll talk to you tomorrow, I hope." With that, she slid off the edge of the balcony and walked into the mob of celebrating people. She placed the empty goblet down on the nearest table and vanished.

Arthur stood on the balcony with his gaze still at the spot where Azura had been standing. She was leaving in two days, which was not enough time for him. Taking one last gaze at the darkening sky, he re-entered the celebration in doors.

Kadian bumped into him, asking what was wrong and he told her openly. Kadian laughed, "I'm going too. Did you honestly think that she wasn't coming back? You _idiot_."

_**Next time on **_**Forbidden Magic and Desires****_:_**

_**Shadows loom over Kadian and Azura as they make the long journey to the remnants of the city of Luthrembel to, hopefully, discover the cause of the kingdom's destruction. Not only is a dark entity roaming within the Forest of Balor, a disease sweeps throughout Camelot bringing two people closer together than ever before.**_


	4. Episode Three: Luthrembel

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

Arthur stared out the window at the glowing courtyard below, leaning against the wall, deep in thought and wonder. He did not notice Merlin who cleaned his chamber, placing things in their respective places and making the bed; the prince did not notice much of anything lately. His mind was stolen from him and was filled with thoughts that he knew that he should not be having. All his thoughts and all his dreams were about _her_, the one he was watching disappear from the square with a bundle of sorts in her arms.

"Arthur," Merlin said curiously. "What are you looking at?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Arthur replied hastily, turning away from window, and gazed round his clean chamber; he did not realize how long he had been looking out the window. It had been ages since he saw his chamber this clean; all the dirty plates had been taken to the kitchens; the growing pile of laundry had vanished to be washed; and there was nothing on the floor for him to trip over. Perhaps Merlin wasn't as useless as Arthur initially thought.

A smile curved Merlin's lips as he placed the objects in his hands on the edge table, almost loosing them to the floor. "You were thinking about Azura again, weren't you?" Merlin asked softly and stepped closer to Arthur.

"Shut _up_, Merlin," Arthur growled and pushed passed him. He reached for his long, brown jacket that rested on the back of the chair and put it on.

"So, I'm right?" Merlin walked after him.

Arthur spun around, red-faced, and sighed; he was defeated; Merlin had caught him. "She hasn't even spoken to me since that night on the balcony." His voice seemed sad and weak as he spoke; he had tried, but her eyes would absently meet his and she would walk away. Arthur combed his fingers through his blond hair slowly, letting each strand fall separately. "It's like I don't exist. I just don't get it. I don't get _her_."

"Well, she is grieving," Merlin stated.

Arthur shot him a look and hastily grabbed his sheath from the table. He secured it to his leather belt as he spoke, "It's not like I haven't tried. She just doesn't seem interested." He walked over to the door and froze as he reached for the brass handle.

"Have you tried taking an interest in what _she_ likes?" Merlin suggested with a shrug and went to collect the objects he left dangling on the edge of the table; a goblet escaped his grasp and fell to the floor, then rolled away as he tried to retrieve it.

Spinning around, Arthur clasped a firm hand on Merlin's shoulder when he stood up. "You're a lot brighter than you look, Merlin," he complimented with a beaming smile. He turned for the door and pulled open the door, and as he went through the archway, he said, "Don't forget to muck out my horse."

-x-

Kadian walked down the halls in an elegant, silk blue gown with Morgana by her side in a violet, damask gown. They were gossiping about recent events, laughing at some and analysing others with a fine-toothed comb. With Merlin preoccupied with his duties as Arthur's manservant, Kadian had nothing to do; she had already packed what she needed for her journey to Luthrembel.

Morgana started to laugh in her high-pitched giggle that startled Kadian. Arthur was walking down the hall with a bow and quiver strung across his back looking confident as ever. Kadian stared at him with a what-are-you-doing look.

He stopped in front of them and asked, "Have you seen Azura anywhere?"

Kadian turned to Morgana who let her shoulders rise and fall. "Try the royal garden. The flowers are in bloom," Kadian replied bluntly. She and Morgana continued on their way, walking around Arthur. When they were out of his hearing range, Kadian said, "I've got to see him try shooting a real arrow, not one on a stupid crossbow."

-x-

The royal garden was enclosed in the centre of the castle with several open corridors leading to and from it. Arthur stepped out into the bright sun that glistened off the diamond drops of dew on the grass. The large, emerald bushes held vibrant and exotic flowers, each basking in the sun's soft, yellow rays. In the middle was a small pond with pale-green lily pads kissing its dark turquoise surface with their lavender flowers sitting upon them.

It had been a while since Arthur had been in the garden and he looked around, taking in the breath-taking sight. He followed the rocky path through the field of carnations, mums, lilies and the many shades of roses. There was a sweet aroma in the air that mixed with the scents of the flowers and the musky pond; he took in the scent and smiled.

Azura sat on a bench that creaked when she sat forward to toss bits of bread to two white ducks that swam in circles, messing the arrangement of the lily pads. After swallowing a piece of bread whole, one of the ducks took one, cynical look at Arthur and let out a loud quack.

Azura turned to see what the duck was yelling at; she sighed softly when she saw Arthur standing there in a golden glow as the sunlight hit him from behind. "Good day, Arthur," she greeted and turned her attention back to the little creatures. She tossed them both another bit of bread that they had to chase after. "Taking up archery now, are you?"

"I thought it'd give it a go," Arthur replied and stepped cautiously closer; he glared at the duck that gave his presence away. "I thought that I'd come by and say 'good-bye' before you left for Luthrembel."

"That's kind of you." She smiled faintly, feeling her cheeks burn. Tossing the rest of the chunk of bread beside the pond, she stood and flattened the ruffles of her white dress that was slashed with a soft blue; the intricate edge was silver and the sleeves were long and billowed as a soft breeze swept through the garden. She turned to him. "You and _actual_ archery? I'd like to see this."

Arthur took in the sight of her and noticed that there was a soft smile curving her lips; but there was still evidence of redness around her glassy eyes from her crying. Sometimes as he roamed the halls, he could hear her weeping in the sanctuary of her chamber and he stood in front of her lock door silently, wishing that he could walk through walls. But Arthur had enough of his fantasies, since Azura raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to say or do something.

He smiled, unsure whether to take her comment (which he quickly forgot) as an insult or a comment. He nodded and led the way to the training grounds.

-x-

Merlin was in the courtyard, setting up a large, round target at Arthur's request. His tunic was smeared with dirt from mucking out the stables. He glanced up when they came into view; it was amusing to see how confident the prince looked. He and Azura knew that luck had to be on Arthur's side if he wanted to hit the target.

Azura stood to Arthur's left and watched analytically as he reached for the bow and an arrow from the quiver on his back. He gripped the bow in his left and fumbled as he notched the arrow and set his fingers in the hook. _At least he can hold the bow right,_ she thought, grinning.

He drew the bowstring back, constricting the fine, dark wood of the bow. Taking aim, Arthur released the rear of the arrow; it zoomed forward at a descending angle. The small, steel tip collided with the white, outer ring of the target; it wobbled as the wind attempted to blow it off.

Shaking her head in disappointment, Azura stepped toward Arthur. "I'm glad your sword-craft is better than your archery," she stated mockingly as he dropped his arms to his sides in defeat.

"Thanks?" Arthur replied puzzled.

She circled him, examining his stance. "First of all, you are in too much of a forward stance," she stated firmly, tapping her forefinger against her chin. "In archery, you need to protect your centre as you fire." Suddenly, she placed her hands on his waist and turned his entire body so his side was to the staring target. His face turned red at how low her hands had been as she explained, "Your hips need to be facing away from the target and your shoulders turned slightly toward your target."

Placing her hands on his broad shoulders, she turned his chest slightly. "When you notch your arrow, make sure your elbow is in line with the point and that your eye is looking at the target. There you are. Now, give it another go."

He had not paid attention to her instructions; he had been too engrossed with her hands being on him. He nodded anyway and reached back for another arrow, notching it. Placing three fingers in the hook, he drew back the bowstring until his hand was beside his right ear, the wood arched with the strain. He took aim at the middle, red circle, bull's eye, and released the rear of the second arrow.

It soared speedily through the air, the steel point piercing the target inside the yellow ring around the bull's eye. Defeated, Arthur's arms fell back to his side and he sighed.

"Not bad, Arthur. I couldn't hit the target at all when I was beginning," Azura nodded in approval. For a moment, as Arthur watched her gaze at the target, she seemed lost in a distant memory, only to return with a quick head-shake.

"I'd like to see you do better," Arthur challenged and held the bow out for her to take.

Azura grasped the bow in her left and tested the string, smiling at the resistance. Standing on her toes, she reached over his shoulder to grasp and arrow from the quiver. She was so close, pressing her chest against his as she took the arrow. Arthur felt like his hands were tied, he had no idea how to react with her being so close; her sweet scent nearly pushed him over.

"I will," she grinned and fell back on her heels. "Merlin, get rid of those, will you?"

Hesitating as he walked over to the target, fearing that he might end up like the servant that Arthur threw daggers at, Merlin removed the two arrows with a quick pull and stepped far out of the way.

Azura's grinned grew as she lifted up the bow and notched the arrow without fumbling. The wind blew against her face as she took aim. The highlights of her eyes adjusted, like they had during the tournament, so unnaturally. She released the arrow.

The arrow spiralled as it pierced through the crisp, morning air, splitting the wind the howled against it, and hit the dead centre of the red circle. Slowly lowering the bow, she turned to Arthur and handed him the bow. There was a smile of triumph on her face. "I win."

"I could do that..." Arthur grumbled, looking away from the perfect shot.

"Of course you _could_," Azura smiled and combed through her hair that was astray from the breath of the wind; her cheeks with curiously pink, like she was embarrassed for upstaging him. "Keep practising, Arthur. You'll make an archer yet." She turned to leave; it was nearly time to start the journey to Luthrembel.

Arthur watched as the wind blew her flowing skirt and fair hair to the side. He grabbed her wrist and she spun to him, puzzled. "What is it, Arthur?" she asked softly with her cheeks burning with scarlet; she batted her eyelashes curiously, waiting for Arthur to say something.

The moment her glistening blue eyes were set upon his face, studying his face for some answer, Arthur forgot the entire English language even his thoughts were lost. He had wanted to say something, but it had just flown away like butterflies in the wind. As her stare intensified, his hand released her wrist and he said cunningly, "Have a safe trip. I will await your return."

Involuntarily, Azura nodded flustered; she was entranced by the manner in which he gazed at her, his eyes like sapphires. She could not think of anything to say; there he was again, making her heart beat madly again. Smiling sweetly, she turned and walked gracefully out of the courtyard to meet Kadian and the soldiers that were to escort them to Luthrembel.

As she left the courtyard, she saw Merlin bid farewell to Kadian, wishing her a safe journey and a quick return. Her eyebrow rose quizzically as Kadian hesitantly turned away from him, her gaze lingering on his face until it strained her neck to gaze at him.

-x-

Azura emerged in the lively square. There were three soldiers waiting and they bowed their heads as she approached. Five horses waited impatiently, two of which were secured to a wagon. Inside the wagon was Jaiden's body concealed from the watching eyes of the commoners and from Azura; she would burst into tears if she saw his cold, lifeless face.

She mounted her white mare, Starlust, the horse she had travelled to Camelot with, which rasped a new shoe against the stone anxious to be moving. Tied to the saddle was her brother's sword, she felt safe having it within reach. Absent-mindedly, Azura patted Starlust's neck, feeling her soft, silver-white mane beneath her fingers. She smiled.

Kadian was greeted warmly by the soldiers and mounted the bay horse beside Azura. She smiled kindly to Azura, letting her know that she wasn't taking this journey alone. But Azura did not reply and continued to stroke her mare; Kadian soughed.

Uther descend the marble stairs and stepped into the courtyard where everyone passing to and fro stopped and bowed respectively. His red cloak was trailing behind him as he strolled leisurely to the three soldiers and his crown, the magnificent piece of gold and diamonds it was, shimmered in the pale sunlight. At his silent command, the three soldiers mounted their horses, pulling hard on the reins to keep the horses from galloping off. Uther stood beside Azra and took her hand that held the reins. "I wish you well on your long journey. This will be a life changing adventure. I hope that when you return, there will be peace within you," he said compassionately, meeting her wavering gaze.

Azura nodded as her lips began quiver and her eyes swelled with water. She shook her head, fighting off the urge to weep, and hastily wiped the single tear that fell down her cheek. "I hope so too," she stammered.

Uther gave her a comforting smile and kissed her hands before he turned to his daughter. "Take care of her, Kadian," he said sternly, more so like an order. Stepping out of the way, he gave the soldiers the order to begin the journey.

With one soldier leading the way, and the others pulling the wagon in the rear, Kadian and Azura left Camelot.

Arthur watched the concealment of the shadows, admiring the way Azura was haloed in a yellow glow as she rode off.

-x-

The road was silent; only the shoes of the horses and the creaking of the wagon wheels made sound. As they climbed the lush hills and crossed the flat, field, Azura's glossy eyes drifted absently over their surroundings, occasionally intrigued by the lark or thrush that flew by. Soft breezes swept leaves off the full trees, sending them flying amok in the air and entangling them into the women's hair. A horse would snort now and again, shaking its mane, but it was a dead silence between them all, unable to be broken.

Luthrembel was on the other side of the Forest of Balor, standing majestically upon a high cliff over looking the dazzling sea. Their journey would take about four days, two to get to the city, and two to return to Camelot; of course, they were taking a short-cut through the forest, otherwise it would take almost a week.

When the sun reached its zenith, the soldiers pulled the convoy to the side of the road to stop for a spot of lunch before they ventured into the dense, dark forest. Azura barely ate, maybe a small bit of bread and a sip of water. Kadian sat next to her, enjoying a piece of bread and cheese. "Azura, are you going to be silent throughout the entire journey?" she asked, shattering the silence between them; the soldiers flinched at her voice.

"I'm sorry," Azura replied softly, her eyes staring straight through Kadian like she was a benevolent phantom. She tore a small piece of her bread, stuck it in her mouth, and held the rest up to Starlust who graciously consumed the remainder whole. "I am far from ease, Kadian. I'm… I'm scared to see what lies for us to uncover." Her lips trembled and she closed her eyes to recollect herself.

"I understand," Kadian said gently with a curt, understanding nod. She placed a hand on Azura's shoulder, causing her to open her glossy eyes. Their gazes met for a long, silent moment until Kadian pulled hers away, unable to stare into the never-ending sadness that drowned in Azura's eyes. "But you need to talk about what's going inside that head of yours. Letting things grow inside you will tear you apart from the inside out. I may not know exactly how you feel, but I want to help you in any way I can."

"I'll be fine," Azura snapped.

Kadian sighed; she had tried. Sitting back and chewing on a soft morsel of bread, she could not help but wonder where the gay smile went when she was helping Arthur with archery.

After a ten-minute respite, they set off in silence. Eerie noises echoed throughout the Forest of Balor from underneath every stick and stone that wailed when the horses stepped or the wagon wheels rolled over them. The soldiers kept on their guard with one hand holding the reins and the other gripping the hilt of their swords; if anything happened to either Azura or Kadian, the King would undoubtedly punish the soldiers severely, if not fatally.

Kadian gripped the reins of the stallion tightly, the leather digging into her palms. She did not like the churning feeling in her stomach; there was something mystical and evil in this forest, something that was not amiable.

To Kadian's surprise, several of the trees engulfing their trail held beautiful, pink flowers. As a gale swerved through the trees, the velvet petals left their flowers and danced in the wind, falling gracefully before their faces and intertwining with their hair. Azura paid no mind and left the petals in her hair; she gazed deep within the maze of maple-brown trees. It seemed as though the dark ridges in the trunks and the sweet, wonderful aroma lingering in the warm air bewitched her.

Kadian watched her worriedly, wishing that there were some way to get Azura to be happy, a way that did not include Arthur Pendragon. Jaiden, Azura's brother, had meant the world to her. He was there for her during the dreadful, gloomy days after their mother's death, and he stood with her through every struggle his little sister's path. And in return, she had been by his side in the darkest of times, like when he was ill during the plague and injured from a long-passed war.

Without better accommodations, they slept in the forest that evening. The soldiers lit a fire and the women laid their blankets beside the crackling embers; they had not seen the sense to bring a tent, it had not rained in days. Azura fell asleep quickly and was soon a small, shadowed mound as they moon climbed slowly to it peak.

Kadian, on the other hand, could not easily fall asleep. She listened to the whispers on the wind and the snaps of the burning wood as she gazed wondrously at the glowing stars in the sky. A star flashed across the sky in a thin, yellow line. Kadian smiled and rolled onto her side, asleep.

-x-

What had destroyed Luthrembel once and for all? It was the question that haunted every one's. There was but a small distance to cross to obtain the single, maddening answer. They emerged from the belly of the Forest of Balor when the sky was tangerine and scarlet with the sunset. The few clouds that swayed with the wind were the shade of blood, smearing the orange sky with gore. Shadows were marching across the flaming field, guiding the horses across the ravine and toward the city.

In the distance, cloaked in shadows, the castle of Luthrembel could be seen. The ivory-stone palace was set high on a towering cliff, where violet-blue waves crashed against the soaked stones. The tall towers held stain-glass windows that held elegant, and colourful designs, mainly abstract figures of mystical beasts. A brick-paved pathway served through the lower town and to the palace.

Azura stopped Starlust from continuing and gawked at the once familiar sight. The ivory walls were too grey, not even the flames of the sky could shed it of its depression. At first, she thought that she heard a bellowing horn sound against the wind, signalling the city of their arrival, but she had been mistaken; it was a shout from the lead soldier to continue on. They sought to seek sanctuary in the gates of the city for the evening.

Azura did not budge at the soldier's demands and continued to stare flabbergasted at her home. Kadian directed the bay stallion beside Starlust. Azura's. "Come on, Zu, we can have a closer look if we continue," she said amiably; Azura did not respond, she was lost in the ghost of the city of shadows. Heaving a sigh, Kadian took the reins from Azura's trembling hands and led the mare onward.

The gates were sealed when they approached, standing tall and impenetrable in their path. Azura's head cocked to the side. "That's interesting. What ever happened occurred at night. The gates close at night and open at dawn," she stated and dismounted Starlust. Approaching the high gate, she let her fingers brush across the criss-crossed, steel bars dismounting her horse and approaching the gates. "Hm..." she mused as she lifted her fingers off the gate and examined the tips; she frowned at the dust and pollen that was there. "The only way to get inside now is by turning the wheel inside the tower."

"Then, what are we to do?" the lead soldier questioned as he dismounted his black stallion. The other two soldiers did the same and held the reins in their hands.

Azura thought for a moment, tapping her index finger against her chin; she glanced at Kadian, grinned faintly and turned to the guards. "There may be a ladder somewhere. Over there, to the east of the gate; the guard tended to keep one handy if someone fell during the night while on watch." It was an obvious bluff, but the soldiers exchanged looks and walked in the direction that she pointed, telling them to stay put. When they were out of sight, Azura looked up at Kadian. "Open it. I know you can."

"What? What are you talking about?" Kadian stammered flustered. Throughout the years she had known Azura, she had never hinted to having magic; she never dared to tell anyone. She met Azura's knowing stare and was lost for words; perhaps Azura knew more than she should.

"Don't act like that," Azura said impatiently and placed her hands on her hips. "You're on my land now, you can't get in trouble. I know you have magic. You _and_ Merlin."

With a deep breath to control her mad thoughts and suspicions, Kadian stared intensely at the gate. The bars started to rise as her irises glowed silver; and the path into the ghastly city was opened. "I hate you," Kadian grumbled, shifting her normal eyes onto Azura; she examined her friend thoroughly, trying to understand how she knew.

Azura bent down and picked up a stone about the size of her palm that was a part of the gravel at the base of the gate. "I know," she replied unconsciously and stood straight, tossing the rock up and catching it in her right hand.

"You fancy my brother." Kadian said, raising eyebrow to see if Azura was paying attention well enough.

"I know." A shy smile curved her soft lips and she blushed, playing with the stone in her hand. Azura saw the soldiers turn the corner and head toward them empty handed.

"And you're in love with him." Kadian hopped off the bay horse and padded his snout in praise.

"I know... wait." Azura caught herself, finally realizing what she had walked into while in her lost state of mind. "What? Who said that?" Azura's face was bright red like a tomato and her smile fell into a frown. Kadian laughed.

The soldiers approached gaped at the open gate. They asked how they had managed it and Azura replied that she had a lucky shot and tossed the rock in the air once more and let it fall to the ground. It was sensible enough for the soldiers (they noticed that the window to the base of the tower was low) and they pressed into the quiet Luthrembel.

Azura walked alongside Starlust, gripping the reins tightly in her hand. She took many deep breaths to prepare herself that lay ahead, waiting to be uncovered. The streets were lined with untouched stands coated with grey shadows and dust. Rotten vegetables and fruit were scattered across the brick path, releasing a foul odour as the horses trampled and the wagon wheels rolled over them.

Shadows masked the bloodstains on the walls of the many vacant houses. It pained Azura to see her home in this state, the pain felt fatal like the sharpest double-edged blade had lanced her heart. She had only left two days before doom had befallen the city. If her father had not pressed Jaiden to bring her to Camelot, she would have met the same fate as her people. She could not help but wonder if she could have made a difference had she been there.

The soldiers handed her and Kadian handkerchiefs to cover their mouths and noses from the stench. The came to the wide, double oak doors that led into the palace; two casement windows were posted beside the doors. Azura stopped dead in the centre of the courtyard and turned to face the ruins of the homes that hid in the castle's shadow. Here, the commoners would celebrate and dance from day until night on holidays and special occasion; the greatest celebration was during the Midsummer Feast. But now, hay and blood danced together on the ashen stones, smeared thickly across the small crevasses between each brick.

They tethered the horses securely to the railing of a ghastly staircase. The castle doors swung open, releasing small splinters of wood and dust into the humid air. The bodies of guards leaned against the walls, their heads hanging on their necks and their pikes slanted against the wall. The stench was putrid and revolting.

Azura raced inward, leaving Kadian and the soldiers to trail behind the ruffles of her skirt. The corridors seemed strange to her like she had never walked down them. They were silent and tainted with the scent of death and despair. The once torch-lit halls were now damp with grey shadows and the faint crimson paint of the sunset sky. There were banners and tapestries embellishing the royal family's crest; the golden circles of the eyes and the silver triangle beak of owl were faded against the stained white fabric.

She climbed a winding staircase, careful to keep her footing as she rushed upward. Coming to a wide, dark-wood door carved with intricate curlicues and flowers, Azura stopped and caught her rapid breath. Her hands trembled as they were placed against the wood, tracing the indents of the designs. She pushed the doors open.

Sun peaked into the room through the large, casement windows that lined the stone walls like a patrol of soldiers. In the centre of the farthest wall was a large bed enclosed in a silver canopy. A bureau stood in the shadows against the right wall and a desk basking in the dying light on the other. A grand bookcase stretched across the bare walls closest to the doors, holding many leather-bound books that craved to see daylight. There was a massive, white, gold and silver rug spread across the centre of the wood floor. It was a spacious chamber, happy to be free of unnecessary clutter.

Azura slowly crossed the chamber, preparing herself for the worst. She stood to the left of the bed; there was something lying inside the silver canopy. Raising a quivering hand, she drew the soft canopy fabric back. A dead, rotting corpse slept with the quilts up to the shoulders.

Maggots and other creatures devoured the rotted flesh on the bloodstained bones that lay in the bed. Some were white; others were yellow as they moved like worms across the skull. An eye hung out of its socket, dangling by a tattered, red and black muscle; a maggot twisted out of the muscle and fell onto the top quilt. The iris was dark blue and the pupil was glazed grey with death. The skeleton released a reeking stench into the dusty air.

Azura raised her hands to her mouth, feeling nauseous all of a sudden. She turned away from the body, removed the handkerchief from her mouth and retched on the floor. Her clammy hands held her hair back.

Kadian stood breathlessly in the doorway; Azura was a fast runner. She closed her eyes as she saw Azura vomit. When the horrible noises stopped, Kadian opened her eyes and crossed the chamber. Pulling Azura away from the bedside, Kadian embraced her tightly. She did not need to look at the skeleton to know what Azura had seen. The body had belonged to Azura's father, King William Lightwing.

Kadian led Azura, who was weeping hysterically, from the chamber quickly and instructed the waiting soldiers to move the King's body to be buried. Azura's sobs grew louder as they proceeded further from her father's bedchamber. Kadian just rubbed her back as she cooed, "It's going to be okay. Show me to your chambers."

Without replying, Azura pulled out of Kadian's embrace and descended down the winding staircase. Crossing a long corridor and climbing several staircases, Azura stopped before a small, less-impressive wooden door. She pushed the door open and led Kadian inside. This was her chamber. It was finely furnished with dark-wood furniture. The tops of the walls were lined with dried, white roses whose stems intertwined. Faded blue curtains flowed over a single window and billowed in the air as Kadian opened the window, letting a soft breeze filled the chamber.

Azura sat on the bed, dropping her head into her hands as she remembered the last moment she had spent in this room. Her brother was snickering as she packed her things for their trip; she over packed and started from the beginning several times before she came to a reasonable amount of luggage.

Kadian let her weep, knowing that she needed to let it out now rather than bottle it up inside. She occupied herself by examining the items on the beautifully crafted desk and bureau. Small pieces of jewellery, gems and trinkets were scattered across the tops, glistening in the faded light of the dying sun.

A quiver and bow caught her eye from the far corner of the chamber, sitting in a lurking shadow with only a strip of sunlight hitting its white surface. She went over and blew off the cloak of dust it collected as she lifted it up. The quiver was not like the one Arthur had strung across his back. It was made from the pelt of a deer, unlike the wooden ones she was accustomed to seeing. The bow-case held four, solid wood arrows that were three-fletched, two rusted-brown, hen feathers and one, black-striped cock feather. "Is this yours?" she asked, looking over at Azura.

"It used to be my mother's..." Her blue eyes rested upon the bow and quiver and she was engulfed by a memory of when she saw her mother using it. "Before she was taken from me too," Azura said, sniffling. She had been a young girl in her memory, no older than ten. They were in a wide field she recalled, and her mother was teaching her and took enjoyment in piercing the same arrow numerous times on a single target. "I've never touched it since it was given to me." Her voice was wavering like she was caught in the past.

"I think it is time that you have," Kadian said knowingly and went to stand before Azura. She held out the quiver and shook it invitingly at her.

Azura hesitantly grasped it in her hand and rose to her feet, overwhelmed with a surge of self-confidence. She went to the window and pulled back the blue curtains, nearly tearing them off. She reached back and retrieved the hickory-wood, flatbow and a single arrow. Notching the arrow, she took aim at a flagpole that stood like a proud soldier upon the wall around the castle. A torn, white flag waved in the wind.

Kadian watched as Azura released the rear of the arrow and sent it soaring out the open window. The arrowhead dug into the wooden pole and stayed firm as the wind attempted to knock it down. She applauded as Azura lowered her arm and gazed at her accomplishment.

"Nice shot," Kadian complimented kindly. "Come on, let's do what we came here to do. Then we can retire for the night before packing up and heading _home_."

Nodding her head, Azura gazed down at the wood of the bow; there were engravings inscribed, some were elegant designs while others said words in a different language. Reading the words silently to herself, Azura placed the bow in the quiver and followed Kadian from the chamber.

-x-

A graveyard sat in the rear of the palace, basking in the heated light of the twilight. The stones that lined the grass were heavy with shadows and the inscriptions on headstones were unreadable. A crypt stood at the far back, leading underground, and was where the members of the royal family were laid to rest. They did not practise pyre-burials for the royal because it was their philosophy to give back to the earth what it had given.

The soldiers opened the small, rotted door and were told to wait outside as Azura vanished into the shadows with a blazing torch in hand. Kadian followed at request and followed the path of burning torches that Azura lit on her way.

Azura stopped at the very back of the crypt, before a large, stone tomb; she explained quickly that the tomb had no bottom that it was just a indication. There was moist dirt beside the tomb where the row of resting places would have continued. "Kadian," Azura said suddenly, "can you lift the dirt from the ground here and here? I don't have the strength to dig myself."

"Of course," Kadian replied and the dirt rose from the two spots like Azura requested. Her eyes ceased to glow and she gazed at the holes' positioning; there had been no time to prepare a casket for Jaiden and the Azura's father. Kadian turned her eyes onto the inscription of the stone tomb to their left. It read: _Here lies Azra Lightwing, Queen of Luthrembel._

As Kadian read, Azura had exited the burial chamber to tell the soldiers to carry the bodies of her brother and father inside. She re-entered, handed Kadian the whipping torch, and stood with her hands behind her back and her gaze to the ground. Tears splashed to the earth beside her feet as the soldiers placed her father's body in the hole closest to her mother followed by Jaiden's. "Leave us," she ordered when the soldiers stood straight.

"Yes, my lady." The soldiers rushed out.

Azura went to her knees and sat back on her heels between the new graves with her head down. She spoke so softly that Kadian could not hear; however, Kadian stood in silence. Whatever Azura was saying made tears stream down her cheeks and drip to the moist soil; she sniffled occasionally, but she continued her quiet speech.

After a long while of speaking to the dead, Azura rose to her feet and nodded to Kadian to bury her family. Kadian obliged and buried the two kings of Luthrembel once and for all; they were never to see the light of day again, but to join with the earth.

Azura found two, wide stones and positioned them before the heads of the graves. Taking hold of a sharp stone that sat idly in the shadows, she carved something into each of the headstones, identifying who lay at rest.

"One door closes and another opens," Azura said softly, resting the sharp stone between the headstones. She rose to a feet and Kadian met her red, glossy gaze with sad, sympathetic eyes.

Kadian stared at her, bewitched by Azura's choice of words: doors. Why doors? Is this what the Dragon meant?

-x-

Kadian was the first to wake the following morning. Azura was curled up next to her, tossing in her sleep as if she was running from something. Kadian was surprised that she had slept at all after burying the last of her family. The soldiers had taken shifts keeping watch over the night and were exhausted when morning struck. They needed to be on their way to Camelot by midday at the latest; their goal was to reach Camelot at sunset at the latest. Kadian, reluctantly, reached over and shook Azura awake.

Azura woke with a groan and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. Her face was beat red from crying herself to sleep and her eyes were weary and puffy. She yawned and stretched her arms wide; she shook violently when her muscles relaxed and oddly, she just laughed.

After having a spot of breakfast, Azura led Kadian and the soldiers into Luthrembel's vast library that rested in the centre of the palace. Kadian's eyes were wide in amazement at the size of the entire library. It was about the size of a grand hall compared to Camelot's library. On all four walls, shelf after shelf was packed tight with books and scrolls. And jutting from the walls were perpendicular bookcases, filled to the brim with the knowledge of the fallen city. Luthrembel was known for its knowledge over anything else; it had the finest collection of books in all of Albion.

"I want to take a few back; some to contribute to Camelot's library and some to go to Gaius. He has been so helpful. Oh... and maybe something special too," Azura mused aloud as she climbed a ladder to reach the books and scrolls that were out of reach; they were the most valuable.

"That's kind of you," Kadian stated and held the bottom of the ladder so Azura would tip over.

"Heads up," Azura called as she carelessly tossed book after book off the shelves. After deciding which of the hundreds to take, Azura removing about seventy first-edition, rare volumes; the soldiers had successfully caught each one as they dropped. "These are the treasured books of Luthrembel. I would hate for them to go a blaze," Azura said as she stepped off the ladder, patting it in praise.

"You're setting the library on fire?" Kadian exclaimed quizzically.

"The soldiers have orders to set the village and palace on fire when we leave. If there is a contagion, we wouldn't want anyone or thing taking it somewhere else. But personally, I don't want anyone using any of the possessions that are left. Now, let's continue," Azura spoke hastily, almost scolding. She left the library in a hurry.

-x-

They went into Azura's chamber next, packing away her mother's bow and quiver, jewellery and dresses in a trunk to be taken back. When the soldier's left to place the trunk in the wagon, Azura reached under her bed and pulled out a tan, leather-bound book. She handed it to Kadian. "This is for you," she said softly. "I have no use for it. You and Merlin could use it."

"Thank you," Kadian replied hesitantly as she flipped through the pages of the book. The text was entirely hand-written and contained magic incantations and remedies. Her hand turned the pages until the title was visible: _Pure Enchantments by Azra Lightwing_. Kadian gazed up at Azura and shut the book, shoving it towards her in protest. "I can't take this. It was written by your mother..."

"I cannot use any of those spells, my magic isn't as powerful as yours," Azura replied sternly and pushed the book back. "Please. I know it is illegal to have it in Camelot, but I will not see it burned. I want it to be put to some use."

Kadian knew there was no room for argument and held the book to her chest. "I will keep hold of it until the law banning magic is lifted. Then, this will find it's way back into your possession," she said with a sincere nod.

-x-

Azura continued through the grim palace, taking little things out of certain chambers, certain artefacts that she always loved to see when she would roam the corridors. The last possessions she took were her father's crown and his sword. They were to be passed down to the next King or Queen and that was Azura now. Of course, she would not use them, but she was going to keep them because, one day, she wished to pass them to her own son.

From outside the walls of the city, Azura and Kadian watched as crooked, yellow and orange flames licked Luthrembel. The ravenous flames consumed the bodies of the people, their possessions, and their homes, burning them all to piles of ash. Smoke clouded against the sky, blocking out the sun's feeding rays.

A single tear fell down Azura's face as she watched her home burn in the vicious tongues of the raging inferno. As this page of her life closed, a new one opened. Life was about changes, she told herself comfortingly, and she had to play the game that lay out before her.

Flicking the reins and directing the horses toward the waiting forest, the journey to Camelot began, leaving Luthrembel to wither away in the brilliant flames. The scent of the fire lingered in the air as they pressed onward and into the Forest of Balor. They had unconvered nothing but bones and shadows in the dead city; no link to the event which caused the horrific downfall of one of the greatest kingdoms of Albion. It had to be the work of magic.

-x-

It was late in the evening when the stopped to retire for the night. The moon was climbing toward is peak in the black shroud above them, illuminating the forest with a white-grey light. A fire was lit and Azura and Kadian warmed their hands as they shivered. The night was cold as winter. Blankets were draped over their shoulders as they huddled close to keep warm. If this weather had been predicted, they would have brought a tent to sleep in instead of the ground. "It's odd isn't it? The way the air suddenly became chill," Azura mused, staring up at the clear sky; the tiny, blinking stars danced in her eyes.

"It is," Kadian shivered, pulling the blanket tighter.

Hearing a cry of pain and a hollow _thud_ against the cold earth, Azura and Kadian stared into the dark void that became the forest. They could tell by the dark mound on the ground that one of the soldiers had fallen dead. Curious, another soldier walked over, taking a stick from the heart, and examined his colleague; there was blood dripping from the soldier's nose and ears. Drawing their swords, the remaining soldiers called into the darkness.

A maniacal laugh rang through the shadows, through the trees, and with the wind. The sound was bloodcurdling when it hit their ears. Then as the laugh became silent, the remaining soldiers were thrown back, arms outstretched, and they collapsed to the frozen earth, dead with blood oozing from their noses and ears.

"What's happening?" Azura asked and leapt to her feet alongside Kadian; she scanned their surroundings as the wind picked up and threw the blankets off their shoulders.

"Let's not stay to find out," Kadian replied, mounting one of the horses secured to the wagon while Azura grabbed her brother's sword from the saddle of her horse and cut loose the second horse. Snorting, the horse vanished into the darkness, free. Whistling, Starlust trotted over to Azura, who, somehow, secured the mare to the wagon and mounted in a flash. The wagon was important and could not be left behind.

"Agreed," Azura said, flicking the reins. The horses whinnied and galloped off into the depths of the Forest of Balor. Creatures screeched around them as the wagon thumped against the rough terrain. Their hearts raced and leapt as the screeching grew louder and louder around them soon to be joined by howls and the snapping of twigs. As the galloped along, Azura swore she heard a voice on the wind.

Tree after tree flew by them and disappeared into the dark void of the forest. Being women of their status, there could be a number of people and creatures that would do them harm. Darkness consumed them as the roves of the trees stretched across the sky, blocking out the silver light of the moon and stars.

The horses rose onto their haunches, lashing the air with their front legs, and whinnied loudly. They stopped dead in their tracks and they shook their heads furiously.

It was pitch black, perhaps a faint outline around large shoulders. Everything had grown silent; the crickets stopped their orchestra and the nightingales no longer hummed overhead. Not even their rapid, panicked breaths made a noise.

Azura reached down, thinking she saw something roaming within the darkness, and unsheathed her brother's sword, holding it before her. A soft breeze kissed her cheek and she turned, squinting in hope to see through the darkness. There was that voice on the wind again, speaking strangely and faintly. Was she imagining things?

Even as Kadian flicked the reins and dug her heels into the horse's flank, the horse stayed firm, shaking its head wildly.

"Can you see anything?" Azura asked turning her gaze to her right where she saw only darkness, but the snap of the flicking leather told her Kadian was there somewhere.

"No." Kadian replied turning her sight to her left; she saw nothing but black.

"Any chance you can produced light?" Azura wondered, gripping the hilt of the sword tighter.

"I don't know a spell that does that," Kadian sighed with an invisible scowl.

"We're sitting ducks out here," Azura stated, gazing at their surroundings again as the wind blew; the voice rode the gale again, but still was inaudible and Azura gritted her teeth. Someone was out there, watching them, studying their even motion.

"I know," Kadian hissed angrily, digging her heels harder into the beast's flank.

"It's not going to help," Azura muttered, hearing the reins flick violently to her right. Then, she saw something move, like a shadow upon a shadow; it was darker than the rest. She slid off the saddle and cautiously stepped forward, clinging the steel blade against the earth before her. The wind howled around them, carrying a soft voice. "What do you want?" she called into the darkness.

The horses whinnied again and Kadian nearly fell backwards as her horse rose onto its hind legs, and dashing ahead.

Hearing the rattling of the wagon, Azura grabbed hold of the wood, heaving herself into the rear. As she attempted to walk, she slammed her shin into the side of her trunk and cursed under her breath.

Kadian called Azura's name over the loud galloping; the last thing she wanted was to explain to her father where Azura was. "I'm here, in the back," Azura replied and Kadian sighed in relief.

"What's gotten into them?" Kadian asked aloud, pulling forcibly on the reins, but the horse would not obey and raced onward.

"Something's has spooked them," Azura replied.

-x-

Soon, the moon was staring down at them again, piercing through the shrivelling darkness that they left behind. Slowly, Azura climbed out of the wagon and jumped onto Starlust's saddle. She knew that she would feel the pain later as her centre landed roughly on the saddle. Feeling around the saddle, she sheathed the sword and hastily grabbed hold of the reins. On the count of three, they pulled the reins back and the horses lifted up onto their hind legs before halting.

Kadian sighed heavily, running a hand through her wind-blow hair. She noticed then that there were no longer inside the Forest of Balor, but in a wide, grey field. Relieved, they glanced at each other before looking back at the forest behind them. An ominous glow radiated from the darkness between the grey trees, beckoning them to return. "Let's go home," Kadian shivered, looking away; she flinched when the horse moved impatiently beneath her.

"Yeah, _home_." Azura nodded slightly, unsure if she liked calling Camelot "home".

They started off once more at a regular trot. The field's flowers were grey in the moonlight, their petals damp with dew glistening like diamonds. It became gradually harder for them to keep their eyes open and alert. Azura's chin fell to her chest and then whipped upward as she fought off sleep.

The moon was beginning its descent when Camelot was standing on the horizon in a silver glow. Very few torches were flickering in the small windows, most of the city was fast asleep; it was a very beautiful sight with the sky clear and the stars shrouding the palace like a celestial cape.

At the sound of hooves against the stone path, the guards stationed at the gates of the city stood ready to fend off invaders, their pikes pointed before them. They relaxed a bit when they say Kadian and Azura riding the horse, but their eyes, glazed with the moonlight, were concerned and utterly suspicious.

"It's a long story, please let us in," Kadian said before they could address them with any formality.

Azura nodded and yawned, rubbing her eyes to keep them open. The guards stepped aside and led the women through the lower town, taking the reins from their hands.

-x-

Uther met them in the throne chamber, after being woken from a pleasant dream; he was concerned and happy that there were back within Camelot's walls, safe. "We did not expect you until tomorrow evening, but it is no matter. Where are the men that accompanied you?" he asked and embraced Azura warmly, stroking her messy hair.

"They are all dead, sire," Azura answered sorrowfully as she pulled away from his grasp; it felt awkward.

"Who could've done this?" Uther mused, rubbing his chin with a hand; there was grey stubble on his cheek and he frowned.

"We did not stay long enough to see," Kadian stated curtly, combing her fingers through her wind-blown hair and pulling loose several knots.

"We just wanted to get here as soon as possible," Azura stated; she slid her fingers down her right arm as if something was crawling up her arm.

Uther nodded his head, deciding it was best to dismiss the subject for the evening. "I am glad that you are safe," he replied with a kind smile toward Azura and more of a scowl to Kadian.

"Is all well here? The guards seemed jumpy when we arrived," Kadian wondered. There were guards stationed around the chamber to protect the king if necessary.

Heaving a sigh, the King knew that he must tell them. "There is a disease spreading throughout Camelot." His voice was uncanny, wavering slightly on each syllable as they rolled over his lips. "You do not need to worry yourselves with that. Go and get some rest. I can see that you are exhausted," Uther said dismissively and placed a gentle hand on Azura's back; he lead her toward the door.

Kadian sighed and followed them out of the chamber, wondering if he had forgotten that Azura was his guest and not his own flesh and blood.

-x-

The following morning, after being unable to fall into a deep, relaxing slumber, Kadian roamed the halls looking for Merlin; he had not been in the physician's chamber when she went by. Gaius seemed rather ecstatic to see her in Camelot and, even as he tried to politely push her out of his chamber, he was concerned about her experience in the forest. He said that he would send Merlin to her when he showed up.

As she walked, her eyes dancing absently over the decorations in the corridor, Arthur came up silently behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She jumped and spun around swiftly, slapping him across the face. Without apologizing to him, she scowled, "Well, _sorry _if I'm jumpy after last night's events. I suggest you don't sneak up on Azura, she might actually draw blood."

"Zu's back?" Arthur rubbed his stinging face.

"No, I left her in Luthrembel," Kadian replied sarcastically. "Half the time I wonder if we're even related. Try her chambers." She walked away, shaking her head wondering how the future King of Camelot could be so naïve.

Turning around with an annoyed scowl, Arthur walked down the corridor.

-x-

He softly knocked on the door to Azura's chamber. He noticed that there was a trunk on the floor with three stacks of books resting on its lid. Slowly, the door opened and Azura looked up at him with big, tired eyes. When she realized it was Arthur, a faint smile curved her lips and she blushed softy. "Good morning, Arthur," she yawned. Noticing the books and trunk on the floor, she bent down, lifted one stack into her arms, and carried it into her chamber.

Arthur picked up the other two stacks and brought them into her chamber and placed them down where she set the others. Then, he retrieved the trunk, which he found to be surprisingly heavy, and set it at the foot of her bed.

"Thanks," she smiled, a smile that set his heart flying, and opened her trunk to make sure that everything was there and in one piece. At the top of the mass of her belongings rested the quiver and she lifted it out and gently placed it on the bed. "It belonged to my mother," she stated and dove into the trunk again, taking out her father's sword and crown. Crossing the chamber with graceful strides, she placed the blade horizontally on the wall-shelf and rested the golden circlet against the sheath.

She turned to Arthur suddenly, feeling his longing gaze fix on her, and met his sapphire gaze. They stayed transfixed in each other's eyes for a silent moment; but Azura tore her gaze from his and returned to her trunk. "Tell me, Arthur, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need your help," Arthur confessed and sat on the bed, careful to not sit on the quiver.

"You've caught my attention, go on," Azura replied as she retrieved two boxes of her jewellery and went to place them on the desk. She opened a box and took a handful of jewellery, examining the gold and silver chains and bracelets bedecked with colourful gemstones that dazzling in the sunlight. One by one, they were dropped back into the box.

"My father has instructed me to search the entire city for any magic artefact So far, I've got nothing." Arthur paused, combing her fingers through his hair in aggravation. He set his eyes on her, taking in the sight of her in a fitting, ivory gown embroidered with golden lace; she seemed happier than she had been, definitely different in what he hoped was a good way. "I was thinking, if you're up to it, that you could help," Arthur said, his face burning red and his voice soft like a mumble.

Azura turned to him with a big smile. "Of course I'll help," she said cheerfully, "but Arthur, if you just want to spend time with me, just ask. Okay?"

Arthur laughed and got to his feet. "I will," he said with a smile.

"Hand me that cloak, will you?" She pointed to the silver cloak that was draped over the headboard.

Arthur nodded and reached over and lifted the cloak off the headboard. It was silky between his fingers and he noticed that it held her sweet scent. He crossed the room and stood behind her, draping the cloak gently over her narrow shoulders. He reached over her shoulders and secured the cloak; and perhaps his hands lingered there for too long, but neither of them noticed. Arthur was oblivious to the pink in her cheeks as she smiled and thanked him.

-x-

Annoyed with Merlin's evasiveness, Kadian returned to Gaius' chamber; she was surprised to see Merlin sitting on a stool, biting into a green apple. He looked up as the door swung inward and smiled when she came into his view. Placing the apple down, he raced over to her before Gaius could acknowledge that he was in. "How was your trip?" he asked stopping in front of her with his arms out like he was going to embrace her; he let his arms fall to his sides when they both looked away, red-faced.

"_Spectacular_," Kadian exaggerated and went to take a seat; whatever Gaius did not want her to see had been removed. Merlin followed her over to her seat and pulled up his stool, listening intently. "We were attack in the forest last night; all our guards were killed." Merlin looked horrified, his eyes wide with shock, and Gaius raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Other than that, it was nice to get away. Oh..." She remembered the book that Azura had given her and grabbed it from the leather messenger bag she had slung over her shoulder. "This is for us from Zu. She saw you cast the spell during tournament and... somehow she knew that I had magic too."

"Is it true that she can _see_ everything? I've heard talk, but I never thought…oh." Merlin gaped at the page he had opened to; the words of magic that were inscribed in fine handwriting danced in his eyes.

"I don't really know, maybe she has magic too. She said something..." Kadian shrugged and shook away her last thought; she thought against bringing it up. "Her mother wrote it before she died. I told Zu we're giving it back when the law that bans magic is lifted." She looked over at Gaius whose brow was furrowed in thought. "And Gaius, she has some books for you since you've been such a big help. They'll probably be brought to you later."

"That's kind of her," Gaius noted, returning to his work on his bench. He mixed several substances together and frowned at the result.

Kadian turned back to Merlin. "Where were you earlier? I came by and you weren't here."

"I went to see how Gwen's father was. He was sick with the illness but he's fine now..." Merlin explained; he paused, pressing his lips together as he realized what he had said.

"Did you heal him?" There was a fire in her eyes that burned brighter when he nodded. "Merlin, you idiot!" She was on her feet, ready to hit him across the face for his ignorance of his actions.

Gaius chuckled in the background; he had said the same thing. "Arthur is searching the town for anything magic, don't you think Tom's recovery will be suspicious..." Kadian drifted off; she understood now why Arthur had wanted to find Azura. "And he has Azura with him. Merlin, they'll think Guinevere healed him. They'll arrest her for sorcery!"

Merlin ran out of the chamber and Kadian ran after him.

Gaius just shook his head, chuckling, and continued working on finding the source of the disease.

-x-

They weaved through the crowd in the lower town. People were gathering around the Blacksmith's workshop where Arthur and Azura were standing, talking to Tom, Guinevere's father, as he pulled a blazing piece of steel from the fire. "Are you sure that you weren't suffering from a different ailment?" the prince asked, examining Tom's expression thoroughly.

"Yes, I'm sure. It felt like death itself," Tom replied as he went to beat the metal into place. Sparks jumped into the air as he slammed his hammer onto the red metal.

"Was anyone with you?" Arthur pressed. He glanced at Azura who watched intrigued at the blacksmith's work.

"No one, just my daughter," Tom answered, dunking the metal into the bucket of water to his left. Steam rose into the air, tumbling into thin, wispy clouds until the wind carried it away

Azura gazed around, sweeping her eyes over each of the watching faces, and smiled weakly at Kadian and Merlin. Kadian, seizing her attention, pointed to Merlin and did some weird motions with her hands; but Azura did not understand what she was trying to say. She followed Arthur inside Tom's home.

As the soldiers and Arthur poked around the small home, Azura's eyes scanned the room. There was a single bed, more like a cot, in the far corner draped with ragged, grey sheets and a flat pillow; she assumed that the mattress was hard as a rock. A square, wooded table stood in the centre with a fresh bouquet of lilies in a frosted-glass vase; an old-wood cupboard leaned against the left wall while a small fire cackled in the hearth. It was remarkably comforting to her.

Then, she focused as she saw a faint, golden light radiating from beneath the pillow. "There," she stated and pointed to the pillow with a thin finger; she blinked several times as her vision became normal.

Arthur walked over curiously and lifted the pillow. A round poultice sat beneath the billowing, basking in a magical, golden glow. The prince grinned and turned to everyone in the room. "Look at what we have here," he said, balancing the poultice in his hand. Gazing at Azura, he grinned, "Let's get ourselves an enchantress."

Kadian sighed when Arthur emerged from the blacksmith's house. In his hand was the golden poultice, and Kadian turned to Merlin and smacked him hard upside the head. She and Azura locked gazes for a moment, and Kadian pulled Merlin away from the blacksmith's.

-x-

She did not say a word to him and pushed Gaius' door open, locking it when Merlin was inside. "I can't believe you, Merlin! You have sentenced Gwen to her death! What were you thinking?" she snapped; Gaius held his tongue, she had done well to scold him in his place. Her face was red with her rage and her hands were trembling against her urge hit Merlin.

"He would've died if I hadn't!" Merlin protested, slamming a fist on the table. "I'll cure everyone, then Uther can't kill her..."

"That isn't the point, Merlin," Gaius stated, holding a hand to stop Kadian from scolding him more; she reluctantly backed away. "Curing everyone won't stop the disease from spreading. If you want to set Gwen free then you need to find what is causing the disease in the first place."

There was a knock on the door, and they jumped, hearing a voice speak through the wood. "Kadian, Uther's called a court to session, you are needed there," it said. Kadian recognized the voice to belong to Azura and left the chamber with saying another word.

-x-

The court flooded the hall, murmuring amongst themselves about the disease; it frightened them all, leaving their faces pasty white. Azura stood beside Arthur, her figure concealed by her silver cloak. Morgana and Kadian stood to Uther's right, breathing heavily with rage as they watched the soldiers pull Guinevere into the chamber.

Gwen was frantically trying to pull out of their hurting grasp. The soldiers tossed her to her knees and she looked up at the king with big, brown eyes as she pleaded for him to let her go. "Please, I swear I didn't do it!" she begging with her work-worn hands on the floor, keeping her from falling face-first.

"Enough. Lift your spell and you may see mercy!" Uther bellowed with a clenched fist. His eyes were dark as night, piercing her petrified mask like two swords. The vein on his neck was bulging through his skin; magic always brought out the worst of him.

"I can't! I didn't do it! I'd never..." Gwen sobbed hysterically with tears streaming down her tan cheeks.

"Then you leave me no choice but to sentence you to death," Uther growled grimly without meeting her frightened eyes. Silently, he ordered his soldiers to take her from the chamber and to the dungeons where she would await her execution.

The court members turned to each other, discussing the King's sentence. Uther seemed satisfied with his judgement and turned to Arthur and Azura, nodding to them in what could have been taken as thanks.

Morgana stormed over to Uther with quiet, furious steps; Kadian followed close behind. "Gwen isn't a sorceress. She is my maidservant," she hissed in a sad, defensive tone of voice.

"Have you ever seen an enchantress? They bare no mark and look like the rest of us," Uther stated amused, but his amusement did not hide the harshness of his voice; Morgana knew better than to question his ruling.

"Father, I agree," Kadian stated, folding her hands at her centre. She looked her father in the eye, noticing his face was turning red with fury. "She healed her father, where is the proof that she caused this plague?"

"The rules of Camelot state that any magic is punishable," Uther snarled; his leather gloves squealed as he clenched a fist.

"When magic is in question, you are blinded, Father," Arthur chipped in with his arms crossed at his chest; he did not want to see anyone burned at the stake, let alone someone he was accustomed to seeing in the palace. Azura took a step toward the exit, not wanting to be a part of their bickering.

"It was me, not Gwen!" a voice shouted as the double doors to the chamber swung open. They crashed against the walls loudly, shaking the red banners embellishing the golden dragon of Camelot. Merlin raced into the chamber, sliding on the floor as he came to a sudden halt.

Kadian gasped and felt a surge of anger well up within her. What was he thinking? By revealing himself as a sorcerer, he might as well reveal herself.

"Merlin, what are you talking about?" Arthur laughed, uncrossing his arms as he walked over to his servant and slung an arm across his shoulders.

"I did it. I healed Gwen's father and caused the plague..." Merlin spoke rapidly and nearly breathlessly. He stared at the King who raised a grey eyebrow, intrigued at everything that was coming to him at once; he grinned, thinking how busy the executioner would be.

Kadian's head shook, trying to hold back the heat that welled in her cheeks as she stepped forward. "That can't be true." She forced herself to laugh, but she glared at Merlin with a stare that could have petrified a phantom or ghoul.

"I know what's going on," Azura stated; everyone was startled at her sweet, delicate voice, even the court members grew silent. She stepped forward and took Merlin from Arthur, gripping his shoulder tightly for him to remain quiet. "He's in love with Guinevere and is willing to step forward to protect her. Isn't that sweet?"

Uther looked upon the servant, his eyes raging with fire. "How do you know that she hasn't cast a spell upon you?" he asked grimly; he turned, not wanting to make an altercation to his ruling, and growled with his back to them all, "Now get out of my sight, all of you."

Sighing softly, Azura turned and was the first to leave, with Arthur following her like a puppy. Morgana followed them out, angered that her maid was locked up in the dungeon.

Merlin stepped toward Kadian, but she stepped around him and stormed out of the chamber. Merlin chased after, "Kadian! Wait!"

Kadian whipped around when they were far from the council chamber, out of the hearing range of anyone. "Why should I, Merlin? What were you thinking? This isn't the way to save Gwen's life, by standing in front of her. Merlin, you nearly exposed yourself. If you had, you would've exposed me too! Didn't you listen to anything Gaius and I said?"

He stared at her blankly and she scoffed. "I don't have time for this," she scowled and spun around, walking away.

Merlin caught her wrist as she walked away; he turned her to face him and met her heated gaze. "Kadian... don't be angry. _I _know that I'm an idiot. I'm told it constantly. But I cannot just sit and watch someone else die for what I did. I would've done the same thing for you or anyone else," Merlin stated, releasing his tight grasp; he looked down at his worn boots guiltily. "Please, help me put things right. Then, if you want, you don't ever have to speak to me again."

She thought for a long, agonizingly silent minute. "Al right," Kadian sighed and headed for the court physician's chamber.

-x-

The physician was hovering over a victim of the disease who had been brought to him during the council meeting. This victim was a woman, probably in her mid-twenties. Her skin was white as snow and her veins and arteries were visible and were stained the colour of periwinkle; the woman's eyes were glazed grey with death.

What bothered Gaius was that she would have had no contact with any of the other victims (they had been removed from the city). She lived in an entire different part of Camelot. There was only one way she could have been exposed to the same disease as the others: the disease spread through water, not through air, nor by contact. The only source of fresh water in Camelot was from the Underground Reservoir that could be drawn up by the series of wells in the lower town. That mean everyone still alive in Camelot would be exposed, if they were not already.

-x-

Kadian held the lit torch above her head, illuminating the dark path that led to the reservoir. She proceeded between Gaius and Merlin, without a word; the fury she held was unbearable and at every sound of Merlin's breath, she wanted to punch him. Shadows clutched to the tunnels like sticky cobwebs, baring extravagant designs in their form; it was unwelcoming.

Their journey through the underground labyrinth was short, Gaius knew the way, and the navy water soon stared at them with a navy gaze. The firelight made the calm surface glow amber, like it was tainted with oil and was set a blaze. Kadian stood at Merlin's side and held the torch above the cloudy water as he dipped a glass phial into the water to collect a sample for testing.

There was something in these caves that made shivers run up and down Kadian's spine; a force, perhaps, that should not be prowling with these tunnels. She noticed, as Merlin lifted the phial from the water and capped it, that the shadows on the walls had vanished, leaving nothing but the amber glow of the whipping flames on the damp walls; even their three shadows were missing like they were consumed by the flames.

Kadian turned to follow to Merlin and Gaius as they started for the exit; but she spun around, hearing a mysterious, chilling noise. It was the sound of trickling water, like a tiny waterfall was dripping into the reservoir from a crack in the low ceiling. Her eyes widened and she caught her startled breath, holding it in her lungs until her shriek forced it to escape.

Dark claws slashed across her chest, drawing her crimson blood the moment their tips touched her flesh. She fell to the ground, the torch leaping out of her grasp, and hit her head, rendering her unconscious. Merlin whipped around at her scream, his heart racing in fear. At the edge of the reservoir, a dark, rigid body growled fiercely, baring long, ivory teeth, and its deathly claws were dripping with thick, red ooze.

Merlin grabbed the torch and went to throw it at the creature, but the surface of the water remained calm. The beast had vanished in the blink of an eye. The torch collided with the damp, stone floor as Merlin fell to his knees at Kadian's side. He ran his hand gently across her chest, tracing the long, bleeding gashes with his fingers. In the dim firelight, he could see her dark-red blood on his hands and the sight scared him even more.

"Kadian, can you hear me?" he called. He gazed at her emotionless face; her eyes were closed and her lips did not move; there was scarcely any colour in her face, she looked like a ghost even in the amber firelight. Shaking her softly, Merlin shouted pleadingly, "KADIAN?"

The physician knelt beside Kadian and placed an old hand on her neck, checking for a pulse; it was faint, but there nonetheless and he sighed, partially relieved. "Merlin, we must get her to my chamber," Gaius stated in a whisper and reached for the torch. In these tunnels, his hands were tied.

With his voice caught in his throat, Merlin lifted Kadian into his arms, letting her head resting against his chest. Her breaths were warm against his tunic and he kept his head high, knowing that as long as he felt that warmth, she was alive.

-x-

They exited the cavern and stepped into the daylight; the sun had started its descent and its golden rays hit Merlin square in the eyes. Gaius took the lead to make sure that there was no one in their path; it was cause panic if anyone were to see the Princess in such a state.

Sneaking into the palace unseen, they crossed a barren corridor; it would not be much further. Merlin's arms were growing tired and trembled beneath Kadian's dead-weight, but he held her close, feeling her breaths through his tunic. His heart jerked when a voice called him from behind; they had only a turn to make to be in the clear.

"Merlin, what did you do?" Azura asked as she came up from behind; she could tell that Kadian was in his arms.

He refused to replied and quickened his pace after the physician, who spared a glance over his shoulder.

"Merlin?" Azura pressed and stepped sharply in front of him; he nearly tumbled over. Alarmed, she stepped back, seeing the crimson staining his blue tunic. Staring up at him with big, concern eyes, she gasped, "Dear God, what happened?"

"Keep your voice down!" Gaius snapped and waved for them to follow hurriedly. Pushing open his chamber door, he pointed to the vacant cot to the right of the chamber. "Place her there, quickly." His voice was indifferent and annoyingly calm for such a horrific situation. The Princess of Camelot was injured and was dying.

Setting Kadian down gently, resting her head on the pillow, Merlin raised his right hand and incanted a spell that changed the colour of his irises to gold. He had hoped for better results, but Kadian's wounds remained and bled and her face stayed unchanged, if not paler.

Azura stood behind him, examining the gashes curiously. They had to come from a monster, she thought, bending over to get a closer look, a large beast. Gaius rummaged through his book rapidly, several spilling onto the floor with their pages tearing. "Why isn't it working!" Merlin shouted frustrated; he had repeated his spell numerous times only to get the same occurrence: nothing.

"Certain injuries cannot be cured while the beast is still alive, Merlin," Azura stated, meeting his petrified, blue gaze; she could see the sadness in his eyes even as his brow was furrowed in ignorance of the subject. Taking a soothing breath, she set her gaze on Kadian's whitening face and clarified, "Some wounds from _magical_ beasts cannot be healed while the beast is alive."

"Then why was I able to heal Gwen's father?" Merlin sneered hastily, shadows looming over his face as his eyebrows came together as he thought. It was clear to them now that this monster was the source of the illness; Gaius had never seen its like.

"Tom wasn't infected by direct contact, Merlin. Kadian was actually hit by the beasts claws," Azura answered softly, moving a strand of Kadian's hair from the princess' face. She glanced up at Merlin from an angle, "Don't snap at me."

"Here it is," Gaius said, catching their attention. He had set a large volume on his cluttered bench; it was opened to an age-yellow page that held a dark, pencil drawing of a creature with sadistic eyes. "It's an Afanc. Only a powerful sorcerer can conjure one."

Azura stood up straight, recalling the name from her studies. "Yes, I have heard of it. It's made of water and clay." She smiled at how much she remembered; it had been ages since she read about it. Afancs were dark creatures that carried a deadly disease in its body; the disease would be released when its body touched fresh water. They were insanely quick and its claws could cut through anything like a sword. "We need to get Arthur. He can help."

"Why?" Merlin growled; the last thing he wanted to think about his job and his prat of a master.

"One, Kadian is his sister. And two, you can't go down there and face it yourself. It's very powerful. And it'll be difficult to find on your own, no matter how much you want to," Azura stated, walking over to examine the text herself to see if she had forgotten something, like a way to defeat it. When she did not hear a reply, she looked over at Merlin who stared at Kadian's lifeless face with pain welling in his eyes like tears. "Merlin, you need Arthur's help if you want to find the Afanc before Gwen's execution."

"That's in a few days..." Merlin stated, prying his gaze from Kadian and set a stare on Azura, not knowing what emotion to feel.

"Not any more. The death rate has increased, more and more people are dying in the streets. Uther moved her execution to the morning," Azura stated weakly, feeling pity for the maid. "I don't want to see that poor girl killed. I don't think anyone does. She's a sweetheart and wouldn't do any harm to anyone."

"Fine, go get Arthur. I'll stay with Kadian and do what I can and help Gaius find a way to defeat this demon," Merlin replied with a curt not. His shifted his attention back to Kadian and caressed her cold cheek with a delicate hand, hoping that his affection, that was poorly hidden, would give her some warmth.

Azura nodded as she saw his love, if one dared to use the word, for Kadian fill his eyes. "We will heal her, Merlin. I promise you," she whispered softly before leaving.

-x-

She went through the busy corridors with her head down and her hands folded behind her back. It was hard to keep something this serious from appearing on her face or in her eyes; she hated to keep secrets, but some were meant to be kept. Climbing a wide staircase, Azura lifted her gaze when she saw no one in the next hall; the sight gave her some relief.

Silently and swiftly, she ran down the corridor, not wanting to take the chance of being seen, and pushed open the door to Arthur's chamber. Shutting the door swiftly, she gazed around the chamber. Arthur was standing before his closet; he was changing into a fresh tunic and slacks, the others had grown itchy. His back was bare and in an instant, she was mesmerized by his finely chiselled muscles; she had imagined them, but actually seeing them, the alluring masterpiece they were, stole her breath.

Slowly, her eyes moved downward, tracing his muscles down his back until she realized that she had broken the lock on the door. _I need to be more careful about pushing open doors, _she thought. Her hands covered his eyes quickly as she exclaimed, unaware that he hadn't realized her presence, "I am _so_ sorry! I should have knocked!"

Arthur jumped, pulling the closet door open so it covered him. He was beyond flustered, but he would not considerate it embarrassment. "How did you get in here?" he exclaimed; he wished that he had changed behind the screen, but a locked door should have sufficed. Merlin knew better to knock and Merlin, Arthur recently noticed, was male; Azura was not.

"I am _sooo_ sorry!" Azura turned away, not wanting to tempt herself.

With her back to him, Arthur reached for his slacks and pulled them on. He did not put on his tunic, since it itched the worst and it was apparently consumed by the growing mess of his chamber. Crossing the chamber swiftly, he spun her around and lowered her hands from her face. "It's al right," he laughed, finding the whole event humorous suddenly, and asked, "What's wrong?" His voice was low and compassionate.

"It's Kadian," Azura whispered, hearing footsteps echoing through the corridor; she met his gaze, forgetting what she was going to say, and felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter uncontrollably. He was so close to her, bare-chested, and looked like he had come straight out of one of her fantasies. But, she held to overcome her silly emotions, and said softly, "She's infected."

"How?" He led her over to the bed and had her sit on the edge. Taking a seat beside her, he watched her face fill with the emotions of panic, fear, and sadness; he swore that he saw the emotion of desire, but it was gone in a flash.

Azura took a deep breath, collecting her wild thoughts. "I'm not sure how exactly it came to be, but all I know that she got attacked by the source of the disease; Guinevere did not cause it, she isn't an enchantress. There's an Afanc in the reservoir; well, that's what Gaius and Merlin told me," she explained, eluding his gaze because she knew she would loose her thoughts again if she stole a glance; the bed creaked as he moved closer to her. "She can't be healed until the beast is destroyed. Merlin needs your help to do so."

"_Merlin_," Arthur groaned and stood up; he needed to help, it was his sister's life at stake. He scanned his chamber for his tunic, there were none that he wanted to wear in his closet; Merlin had not done his laundry yet.

"Oh, don't be like that," Azura said perturbed and rolled her eyes. "He really cares about her and he is sitting with her now, trying to find a way to kill this Afanc so he can save her." She paused, glancing around the room. "And your tunic is over there, if you're wondering." She pointed to the far corner; she did not want to think about how it managed to get over there.

Arthur laughed and turned to her, holding his arms out to show her his sculpted torso. "What, don't like what you see?" he said, walking backwards toward the corner.

"I never said that," Azura grinned, cheeks burning, as he reached down and picked the red tunic up. "But now isn't the time for you to show off. Your sister is dying." She crossed the chamber to the long table and lifted his sheath into her arms. She smiled as she held it to her chest; swords fascinated her.

Grinning, Arthur pulled the red tunic over his head and grabbed his long, brown jacket from the other corner of the chamber; he swore that there was a gnome or gremlin moving his things around his chamber to mess with him. He walked up behind her and placed his arms on the table, holding her hostage between the table and himself. "Can I have my sword?" he whispered in her ear, smelling the sweet aroma that wafted from her yellow hair.

"Once you release me," Azura replied, happy that he could not see how red her cheeks were.

"What if I don't want to?" Arthur whispered entrancingly.

Azura spun to face him with a serious stare. "If you don't, then your sister will die and I'll be very, _very_ upset. Then, you'll never have a chance with me, not even in a million years," she smiled, licking her lips seductively.

"Never?" When she nodded without moving her stern gaze, he pushed off the table and released her from captivity. Like she had promised, she handed him his sword.

He strapped it to his belt and opened the door, holding it open for her. He stared after her, his eyes tracing her breathtaking curves, and followed.

-x-

Merlin jumped as the door swung open and Arthur came into the chamber behind Azura. He ran to his sister's side and held her cold hand. Her skin was white as snow and her veins and arteries were periwinkle like the rest of the victims. Her chest with the four claw marks faintly rose and fell with each weak breath she took.

Arthur turned to Gaius, seeking an answer; it was hard to endure the sight of his sister in the deathly state. "How do we defeat this... _Afanc_?" He dropped Kadian's hand.

"We go down there and kill it," Merlin stated and met Arthur's stare as it moved onto him. Only Azura could tell that he was hiding the true answer, whatever it was, and she nodded approvingly.

"And you need to hurry. I didn't expect for her to get this ill this fast; she could have hours or minutes, I cannot be sure," Gaius added as he placed a warm, damp cloth on Kadian's brow, hoping that it would slow the process of the disease.

Nodding, Arthur left the chamber with Merlin and Azura trailing after him.

-x-

Merlin opened the creaking, wooden door leading into the caverns to the underground reservoir. Azura grabbed a torch, lit it, and handed it to Arthur as she lit another.; she could see that he was concerned with her coming with them. They descended into the darkness, the amber torchlight flickering faintly against the damp, rock walls.

Arthur in the lead and Azura was in the rear, gazing into the shadows; she was wondering if she would see a figure moving in them like she had in the forest. The curiosity brought forth the memories of burying her family and she shook her head; now wasn't the time for those thoughts.

"You better be right about this, Merlin," Arthur stated, gazing down the two tunnels before them; he chose the right one and led the way.

A chilling hiss echoed through the darkness, sending shivers up and down their spines. Azura gasped softly, looking from side to side; the hiss sounded like it was right beside her. She saw nothing and sighed, relieved.

Arthur glanced over his shoulder, hearing her gasp. "You should stay here," he said softly, looking through through shadows as best her could. There was something in these tunnels, he had heard it and his stomach was twisting in suspense; what was it waiting for?

"I'm coming with you," Azura replied firmly, moving the torch into her left hand. Despite her firm tone, she shivered and wished she had brought her cloak.

"No."Arthur stopped, hearing a second hiss call through the shadows. It was unsafe for him and more so for her.

Azura grinned because he did not know that she had a dagger on her person; where, she would not say, but she was armed. "Scared I'll show you up?"

Just the thought of something happening to her made his heart lurk. Arthur would not let it happen and said, "My father will shut us both up in chains if you're endangered."

"I don't care, he doesn't know. I'm doing this to save Kadian," Azura pressed, gripping the torch tighter. Uther could rot in hell for all she cared; she saw the way he looked at his daughter, with disgust and hatred, and it made her sick.

"I'm telling you, Azura, turn back. You could get hurt."Arthur met her gaze and watched the firelight dance in her irises, turning them violet. Her face was bewitching in the amber glow, he could not bare to see it maimed by the beast's claws.

"So could you," Azura replied and stepped around him. She found it sweet that he was concerned for her well-being. Grinning, she cocked her to the side and said abruptly, "If you don't get out of my way." She started down the tunnel, taking the lead.

Arthur gave Merlin a you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look, but yet, the tone of her voice touched him in a pleasurable way. They followed her down the tunnel, wondering how they were going to find the beast within the cover of shadows.

Hearing a faint _hiss_, Arthur turned and told them to stop. He held the torch out in front of him and saw a large, dark shadow move across the amber-glowing rock and not the actual monster. It was uneasy to him to have Azura with them, she was the most susceptible of them.

They pressed onward, leaving the shadow as a shadow. The growls and hisses became louder as the travelled deeper into the underground. In a matter of moments, they reached where Kadian had been attacked; her blood was fresh in a pool on the ground. Merlin gazed down at the crimson liquid; his heart hurt at the memory and her shriek filled his ears like it had.

"Spread out," Arthur stated in a whisper and motioned with his sword for Merlin to go one way and Azura the other. He gazed through another, small tunnel and heard growls masked with heavy, eerie breaths radiating from a large shadow in the centre of the growing darkness. The Afanc swung a deathly claw at the prince and Arthur leapt back. Before he could return a blow, the beast was gone.

Azura was the first to reach Arthur and asked worriedly, "Are you al right?" She saw Merlin join them out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes," Arthur assured her, smiling weakly at her concern.

"Did you see it?" Merlin wondered, gazing down the dark tunnel; he would never forget the monster's face, he had looked it straight in the eye.

"Yes. It's fast," Arthur answered, waving the torch through the darkness in hope to see it again.

Azura turned to watch behind them, thinking she heard something hiss (the men hadn't heard anything). She shrieked as it appeared again, lashing its fore-claws through the air, missing her stomach by mere centimetres. Swiftly, she drew her dagger as Arthur pulled her behind him.

The Afanc bared its jaws through the dark shadows as another growl rumbled from the pit of its throat. Arthur swung his sword at the beast, but it was gone again before the steel could slice it. Looking around frantically, Arthur asked openly for the beast's location. Then, he realized Azura had a dagger in her hand. "Where the hell did you pull that from?" he asked puzzled.

"That's for me to know," she smiled with a teasing wink.

"I think it went this way," Merlin said as growls echoed through the adjacent tunnel.

Nodding, Arthur led them in the direction of the haunting growls. Fire lit the way, revealing everything in their path. The tunnels seemed to form a labyrinth, dark walls all around them, but it was just the adrenaline of battle surging through their systems that made the illusion.

They came to a pass and looked down each path. Hisses swam through the tunnels from the right and Arthur cautiously stepped forward, watching as the beast revealed itself again to its foe. One large, clay claw after another came forward, pulling its muddy-ridged body forward. It had a rough, dog-like face with narrow, slitted eyes and bared, ivory teeth that glinted the torchlight. Its growls beckoned for Arthur to attack.

The prince jabbed his sword at the beast and stepped back as it swung a claw at him. It swung again, moving with impeccable speed, and Arthur barely moved in time; his sword escaped his grasped and clanged against the stone.

Azura took a step back holding the dagger before her as her vision focused on the beast as it came toward her next. Its sharp, black claws lashed through the air and knocked the torch from her grasp, sending it sparking by her foot. She tossed her dagger at it, but its skin was hard and the blade was useless against it.

The Afanc stalked forward, growling with its fangs glistening in the orange firelight. Arthur threw his arm between the beast and Azura, the fire licking the beast's snout. His free arm wrapped around Azura and pushed her protectively closer and behind him.

The beast rolled onto its hind legs, raising its front two in the air like an attacking spider. "Arthur, use the torch!" Merlin shouted from his _hiding_ spot a ways down the corridor.

Arthur whipped the torch in front of him. The embers snapped from the flaming tongues and reached through the air for the Afanc. Azura watched, listening as Merlin softly commanded a breeze to sweep through the tunnels. The wind stretched the voracious, whipping flames from the torch and it consumed the beast as it went to strike Arthur with its raised claws.

The beast's dying cries filled the tunnels at an ear-piercing level, shaking the hanging stones above them. It twisted and turned, lashing its claws blinding in the air as the fire burned its skin. As the fire vanished, Azura peered around Arthur, seeing that only a pile of ash remained. She smiled, thankful that it was over.

Arthur turned to Azura and took up her hands as Merlin thanked himself for defeating the Afanc and patted himself on the back for a job well-done. "Are you al right?" Arthur whispered, holding her hands tightly in his. His eyes looked her over, making sure that there was not a scratch on her.

"I'm fine. It didn't get me," Azura replied with her wonderful smile that could brighten a rainy day. Then, his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her to him, holding her tightly. Shocked by this, Azura's cheeks burned red and she rose her arms to return the embrace.

"I don't know about the two of you, but I'm getting out of these dark, damp tunnels before something else decides to try and kill us," Merlin stated comically, clapping his hands together. He was anxious to see if Kadian was recovering and said hurriedly, "We need to get back to Kadian and make sure she's recovering."

-x-

As they walked toward the palace in the shadow of the night sky, Azura gazed up at the blinking yellow orbs in the sky. The stars were beginning to reveal themselves as twilight vanished and the moon started its ascension to its zenith. She wished that she had watched the sunset, but the twinkling stars were just as soothing. Arthur's warm hand was around hers, holding it gently as they walked; he hadn't released her since the tunnels.

Merlin raced by her, ramming into Azura's side as he ran. Her hand slipped from Arthur's grasp and she collided with the brick path. "Merlin!" Arthur shouted angrily as he reached down to help her to her feet; but Merlin had already vanished into the palace, quick as a jack-rabbit.

"Owe," Azura hissed as she examined her right palm. Blood oozed from a narrow cut in the centre of her hand. "Bloody hell," she cursed as she flexed her hand to get feeling back.

Arthur was astounded to hear her speak in such a way, but it was something he was accustomed to growing up with his sister. He lifted her to her feet and looked at the gash on her palm. "I'm going to kill him," he grumbled.

"No need. He's just worried about Kadian. It was probably an accident," Azura sighed with a quick rise and fall of her shoulders. Slowly, the began to walk toward the entrance to the silver-cast palace.

"Still," Arthur muttered and folded her left hand in his as they walked.

Azura laughed. "Don't be like that, Arthur. I'm not going to die because of a tiny cut. Now, if he pushed me into that Afanc, then you could go right ahead and kill him," she smiled and leaned against his arm. "But then you'd have to deal with your sister. Let's see how she is." She pulled him along.

-x-

Merlin spoke the enchantment again, the forbidden words rolling over his lips mystically. His irises glowered gold as his magic flowed through and from him and into Kadian at his command. It was draining, he had to admit, and curled his fingers as his magic subsided and his eyes returned to normal.

Gaius sat at his desk, watching intently as Merlin attempted to cure Kadian; he silently prayed that his warlock nephew had the power, otherwise, Kadian would surely die.

Then, just as Gaius finished his silent prayer, Kadian sat up with her wounds completely healed and her skin warm with life and colour. Taking several, deep and refreshing gasps, she turned to look at. She smiled and he smiled back with his eyes beaming.

She embraced Merlin around the neck and held him there tightly. The disease had felt like death itself, she did not think that she would get lost in the abyss of his dark eyes again. The door swung open and she released Merlin, fearing that it was her father.

Arthur and Azura walked into the chamber, hand-in-hand. A smile appeared across her face as her brother came over to check on her while Azura went to Gaius. Kadian hugged him even though she knew he would hate her for it.

Arthur and Merlin took turns telling Kadian how the Afanc was destroyed as Gaius wrapped Azura's hand in linen bandages; the physician made a comment that she did not need them, but she insisted. Standing, Azura went to Kadian and embraced her. "I'm glad you're okay," she said happily and let her go. "I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"

Kadian nodded and watched amused as Arthur took Azura by the hand and they left the chamber. She stood and stretched her stiff muscles that woke with new life; it was so good to breath regularly. It felt like she had never fallen ill to start with.

Gaius said that he was pleased that their efforts succeeded and left his chamber to fetch some water. When the physician was out of sight, Kadian turned to Merlin. "Thank you." She smiled.

"Oh, it was nothing... really," Merlin replied embarrassed, running a nervous hand through his dark hair.

"It was definitely something, and I want to thank you _properly_." She pulled him to her by his jacket and pressed her soft lips against his. No, he did not try to pull away, but pulled her closer, snaking his arms up her back. His warm lips moved with hers as her alluring taste filled his mouth; his heart was beating madly and undoubtedly hers as well.

His fingers combed through her blonde hair, securing her face to his, not wanting to break this moment. This feeling they felt, this emotion they should _not_ be feeling, was something they had never known. Even as they were pulled apart by the sound of Gaius' voice, they could not keep their eyes off each other, wondering when their next would be.

-x-

Early the next morning, Gaius walked into the council chamber and bowed his head as he informed the King that there were no new cases and those sick with the illness were recovering rapidly. "Sire, there is something else," he said and beckoned Uther away from the ears of the guards and men that were watching.

During the night, when Merlin was asleep, Gaius had returned to the underground reservoir in search of the source of the Afanc; it was a magical creature and he knew the craft that was needed to conjure it. In the physician's hand seemed to be half of a large eggshell. On the ivory shell was a small, wine-red insignia that was of two, V-shaped lines (one right-side up the other not) that intersected in the middle of their mouths. "I found this at the sight of the Afanc when I went to test the water. Sire, it bares the mark of Nimueh."

"T-that's impossible," Uther stammered flustered. His cheeks were red and his brow was furrowed.

"I do not believe so, My Lord. Only an ancient sorcerer, such as Nimueh, could conjure the Afanc," Gaius replied and traced the small mark with his fingers.. "I believe that it would be right to set Guinevere free."

Blinded by Nimueh's name, Uther gave the order to free Guinevere from the dungeons before her execution would begin.

-x-

After seeing Guinevere released, Kadian entered Azura's chambers in a glow; her eyes were beaming and her lips were curved in a rare, gay smile. Azura raised an eyebrow and asked wondrously, "What are you so happy about, Kadian? You're alive, but you shouldn't be glowing."

Kadian shuffled her feet against the ground and played with her skirt. Her cheeks burned crimson.

Azura jumped up from her seat at her desk and shut the door in a flash. "You snogged him? I wished I had been there to see it." Azura danced around Kadian, begging for her to tell the story. "What was it like?"

"You should know what a kiss is like," Kadian said; she remembered his taste in her mouth, the way his lips moved with hers like it was meant to be. The memory made her heart race.

"Actually, I wouldn't," Azura confessed, sitting at her desk again; she hide her guilty face as Kadian stepped forward, gaping.

"I'm sorry... Arthur's slow with romantics, you'll probably have to wait a bit longer," Kadian stated, patting her friend on the back softly.

At the mention of Arthur's name, Azura's face turned bright red, remembering that she burst into his chamber unannounced the day before. He had been completely undressed in his _locked_ chamber (she hoped he did not notice that she broke the lock). She more than liked what she saw; there was no one that could make her feel so good. There he was making her heart beat again and he wasn't even in the chamber.

Her body quaked as she thought of his perfectly sculpted body, which she thought to be made from the gods, on top of hers and his chiselled muscles holding her down...

_**Next time on Forbidden Magic and Desires :**_

_**The royal court of Mercia is welcomed to Camelot in order to ratify a treaty between the two feuding kingdoms. However, when suspicions rise and the life of a man is on the line, Arthur must disobey his father's orders and journey to the Forest of Balor to find the only means of saving a friend; but things get complicated when Azura tags along. They must be cautious for the mysterious girl in the forest is not who she says.**_


	5. Episode Four: The Poisoned Chalice

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy, his name: _Merlin_...

Azura sat in her chambers, combing her hair as she watched her reflection in the gilt mirror. A single candle burned beside her with the flame a sad blue instead of bright amber. Hot wax dripped into the dish of the candelabrum like thick, cream-coloured tears. It had been nearly a month since her brother, Jaiden, was killed and they days grew longer and longer with each passing minute. She was coping well, she had to admit, but there will still evenings where she cried herself to sleep.

There was a hollow knock on her chamber door and she called for the person to enter without lifting her gaze from her reflection. The door slowly swung open, creaking on its old hinges, and Kadian walked into the chamber; there was a small parcel in her hand. "I'm sorry to bother you," she said softly as she crossed the chamber.

"You're never a bother," Azura smiled faintly and placed her comb onto the desk beside the blue flame that quickly licked the air and turned orange. Noticing the parcel, she asked, "What is that?"

Kadian placed the parcel onto the desk soundlessly, it weighed little. "This was found when the servants were cleaning out the chamber your brother had been staying in…" She paused, seeing Azura's eyes swell with tears; she knew that it was hard to hear his name used in the past tense. "It's addressed to you,"

Azura moved her glassy gaze onto the small, aged parchment that was secured to the parcel by a thin, brown rope. Inscribed in Jaiden's rigid handwriting was _Happy Birthday_. A tear fell as she blinked, reading the two words again. She hastily tore the open the parcel's wrapping and tossed it to the ground in a crumpled ball.

Lifting the lid of the small box within, Azura gasped at the beautiful pendant that lay inside. A tear-drop-shaped aquamarine was bound with two, diamond-studded strips of glistening gold that circle each other until they came together with the braided gold chain. The colour of the gemstone was the same as Azura's eyes, it was an unmistakeable match.

It was overwhelming to see the pendant and Azura nearly choked on her breath as she inhaled sharply. The shimmering the gold cast from the amber glow of the candle brought back so many memories of Jaiden, and it hurt her to see them after locking them away. "Get out," Azura whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks like fast-flowing rivers.

"What?" Kadian did not hear Azura's voice, it had been so quiet.

"Out..." Azura whispered louder; but to Kadian it was an inaudible mumble. "OUT!" she screamed and turned to Kadian, setting an angry, dark glare on the princess; it had to have been the scariest glare Kadian had even seen, there was nothing but anger masking the sadness within. Kadian exited the chamber without a word.

Azura lifted the pendant from the box by its long chain and dangled the stone before the blazing candle. She had forgotten that her birthday had been approaching, and now that she thought of it, it had already passed. It had been the day that she, Arthur and Merlin defeated the Afanc in the darkness of the tunnels beneath Camelot.

So, Jaiden had bought her a gift after all, but it was not with the winnings of the tournament. Azura longed to know why it took so long for this to find its way into her possession, but she knew that some questions should not be answered. Dropping the pendant into its box, she stared into the reflection of her face; her eyes were red from crying and her pink lips were trembling as she fought to cease her tears. And as she examined her face, she felt that she did not look like she had reached the age of twenty.

Hearing footsteps enter her chamber after the door softy creaked open, Azura dropped her gaze to the glowing tabletop, tracing the fine lines in the wood with her fingertips. "I thought I told you to 'get out'," she hissed.

"No, you didn't." Through her angled glance at the mirror, she saw Arthur approach her from behind and rest a hand on the back of her chair. He had been patrolling the barren corridors; Kadian had nearly run into him as she stormed down the corridor. "I heard you scream and came to see what was wrong."

"Nothing is wrong," she spat and wiped her tearing eyes hastily with the back of her hand; her sniffling did not help her cause.

"Don't lie to me, Azura," he replied and moved to crouch to the side of her. With a delicate hand, he caressed her red cheek, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. He smiled.

Azura turned her head away. "Get out," she hissed weakly, forcing herself not to cry again.

"I'm not going anywhere," Arthur replied; his voice was unrelenting and velvety as he turned her gaze onto him again, "not until you tell me why you were crying."

Azura stood, pushing him over, and turned away with her arms crossed at her chest. "I wasn't crying," she grumbled; it was obvious that she was lying, the red face and wet cheeks were a give-away.

Arthur rose to his feet, frowning at how easily she knocked him over, and rested a caring hand on her shoulder. "Yes you were." He spoke compassionately in that voice that was so alluring that she nearly gave in. "I will leave if that's what you want, but Zu..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Azura shouted and spun to him fast as a tornado. Her hand was ready to slap him across the face, but it stayed motionless in the air; she could not bring herself to do it. She leaned forward and buried her face in his chest, weeping hysterically. "I hate you!" she sobbed, hitting his chest with a hard fist.

He wrapped his arms around her slim figure; it occurred to him then how fragile of state she was in. "Shh," Arthur cooed as he stroked her back gently with his fingers combing through her silky hair. "I know you do."

He lifted her into his arms, she was heavier than he thought, and carried her over to her bed, placing her down gently with her head on her pillow. She looked up at him, her blue eyes glossy and contrasted against her red face. He sat beside her and brushed her hair from her face, tucking the strands behind her ears. His soft, passionate movements made her cry more and she turned away. "What's the matter?" he asked soothingly

"It's not fair," she whispered as she took a deep, skipping breath.

"What's not fair?" Arthur asked, sliding his hand tenderly down her bare arm; her skin was so soft.

"_Life_," she mumbled and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face into her pillow.

"In some ways, yes, other's, no," Arthur sighed and lay back with his arms behind his head.

"How is it _fair_ to loose my father, my brother, and my entire home?" Azura sneered, placing her cheek against the cold face of the pillow. She gazed at him and he rolled his head to meet her gaze. "I've lost _everything_!"

"Azura," Arthur sighed and as he stared deep into her alluring eyes, he felt himself get lost in them. "Try not to think about what you've lost. Sure... it hurts, but you gained something in return; sort of compensation."

The timbers of the bed creaked as he moved closer to her, still transfixed in her gaze. Taking a deep breath, he continued in a velvety tone, "I don't think that it was fair that I had to grow up without a mother while everyone else did, but I turned out alright." He paused as he averted her gaze and stared up at the wide beams of the ceiling. "And, I wouldn't want to change anything that makes me who I am now, right here, lying next to you."

For a long moment, Azura's mind was free of thought; she could not find any words to say. She let her gaze fall onto the ruffled sheets beneath her. "You really aren't prat most people think," she said softly, looking at him.

"Thank you," he grinned and sat up, running a hand through his blond hair nervously. "Now, get some sleep. You'll need to be awake during Bayard's boring speeches tomorrow."

"Sounds like fun," she yawned, rolling onto her back.

Arthur leaned over and caressed her face with a gently hand, half-wanting to kiss her goodnight, but he stood. On his way out, he blew the candle out, shrouding her in the darkness of night.

And inside that darkness, she thought about what she had gained from all of the madness: Arthur.

-x-

Dawn light trickled into Kadian's chamber as the sun slowly began to ascend in the pink sky. The curtains before the window lifted into the air as a groan left her lips. Mornings were never her favourites; but today, she was to meet with Mercia's royal court and that aggravated her more. She sat up and stretched her sleeping muscles. They too wanted to curl back up and waste away the morning.

Lazily, she rose to her feet and dressed in a flamboyant, red gown slashed with gold silk. The sheer selves trailed down to the floor with a gold braid trim. She hated to wear red, even if it symbolized Camelot and her family. Draping a velvet, red cloak over her shoulders, she left the chamber.

-x-

The halls were alive with the royal household's servants and maids rushing to and fro, and each smiled at the princess when they passed. She came to the throne hall, where Uther's golden chair stood in the far back, glinting the yellow light that poured onto the wooden floor through the large windows lining the stone walls. The ceiling was garbed in red banners that embellished the golden dragon of Camelot.

The King was before his throne, speaking soundless words to one of his knights, Sir Leon. Uther spared a glance in her direction and seemed seldom pleased with her attire, but he did not mutter a sound. Merlin stood bored in the far rear of the hall and he smiled faintly when he saw her.

Kadian returned the friendly, shy smile and stood silently, waiting for this greeting to start. Then, Arthur entered the hall in a brown jacket over his fresh, red tunic and his hand was hovering over the hilt of his sword like he expected to draw it into battle. He nodded acknowledging to his sister and was greeted warmly by Uther as he passed by the King and Sir Leon.

From the alcove closest to the gathered, Azura stepped into the hall with a red cloak, possibly borrowed, draped over her narrow shoulders; the cloak was fastened by her father's brooch, an owl carved in beautiful crystal. Her gown was white, sashed with silver damask and embroidered with gold lace. The cloak concealed her translucent sleeves but as the cloak swayed with her graceful steps, one could see the gold armlet and bangles on her wrist. Her brother's sword was secured to the silver sash and was tucked secretively behind the cloak.

Azura was focused on her surroundings, glancing at each subtle movement in the hall. As her eyes swept across Arthur, the prince met her gaze for a brief moment like they were speaking with their thoughts. Sending him a courteous nod, she took her position in the rear of the chamber near Morgana.

A guard came into the hall through the large, double doors and informed Uther that the member's of Mercia's court had arrived and were waiting eagerly in the hallway. Uther said to let them in and, as the guard vanished, sealing the doors, he told those around him to get in formation.

The heavy, oak doors swung inward and the court of Mercia strutted into the hall, dressed in stunning, blue tunics with the yellow and black crest of Mercia on their chests. The two Kings led their parties forward. The parties gazed fiercely at each other, the men had their hands on their swords; Kadian walked to Arthur's right, purposely a foot behind the men.

The courts met in the centre of the hall, their bodies slightly tilted away with inconspicuous hands on the hilts of the swords. "Camelot welcomes you, Lord Bayard of Mercia," Uther stated sternly, meeting the stare of the other King. A heated tension filled the hall as everything went silent, not even the gentle spring breeze made a sound. "The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and a beginning to friendship among our people." Uther held out his arm and Lord Bayard took it; there gazes intensified, studying the other in suspicion. The parties began to applaud the union of the two courts.

In a temporary agreement, the two parties parted ways so the Mercian court could settle into their guest chambers and prepare for the sighing feast. The tension seemed to have relaxed with the heavy sighs from Camelot's court, and a cool draft swept away the heat.

As Lord Bayard led his court from the chamber, Azura watched them suspiciously, waiting for them to make one wrong move. Bayard met her stern stare, initially puzzled of her presence, but then, his stare became a warning and he exited the chamber. Luthrembel and Mercia had been at the brink of war; Azura did not doubt that Bayard enjoyed the fact that Luthrembel was no longer; maybe he had caused its downfall.

She left the hall with Arthur, knowing that he could keep her from slaying Bayard.

-x-

Kadian roamed the busy halls, warmly greet the Mercia's court member's at her father's request. She watched the handmaids of Mercia struggle to find their way to the master's chambers. Gaius was further down the corridor, speaking with Merlin who was complaining about his donkey-labour; Merlin's back was to her.

A pretty maid brushed passed her with her dark hair up in a royal-blue wrap; it brought out the deep colour of her eyes against her pale face. She tripped over the menacing air as she walked by Gaius who was making up a proverb for Merlin. "Hard work breeds..." His brow furrowed as he sought the right words, they didn't come. "A harder soul," the physician said with a curt nod.

Merlin shook his head, saying that there was no possible way it was a proverb, and looked down at the handmaid; he rose an intrigued eyebrow.

"Sorry," the maid said softly, averting his gaze as she rushed to pick up the items she had been carrying.

"It's alright. Here, let me help you with that," Merlin smiled and bent down to help. He picked up several folded sheets and stood with them lain across his arms. Merlin continued flustered, "Hi, I'm Merlin."

"Kara," the maid smiled, cocking her head to the side slight. She examined and seemed rather unimpressed with what she saw. Her voice perked up as she spoke, "You're Arthur's servant. It must be such an honour."

Kadian stepped closer, remaining unseen by Merlin, and caught Gaius' eye as she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah. Well, someone's got to keep the place running," Merlin chuckled shifting his gaze to the floor in embarrassment.

Perturbed, Kadian raised a hand and motioned for Gaius to smack Merlin for her. She turned and walked away, gripping her skirt tightly. She was out of sight when Kara walked passed to returned to her duties. And as Merlin's eyes followed her as she left, Gaius' hand slammed against the back of his skull.

"What was that for?" Merlin winced, rubbing the back of his head; the blow blurred his vision. .

"That was from Kadian," the physician answered and hit him again with the same amount of force; he grinned. "And that is from me. Get back to your donkey labour, as you referred to it."

Merlin rubbed the back of his head as Gaius walked away with his old hands folded before him and his gaze to the floor. He and Kadian had not spoken much since they had kissed. There was a subtle awkwardness that blossomed when they were close enough to hear each other breathe. Well, they were from the opposite ends of the hierarchy; but should that really matter when it comes to their emotions?

-x-

The door to the prince's chamber was open as Merlin approached with his hands full of fresh sheets for the bed. Peering over the corner, he saw that Arthur was not in and stepped inside. The floor of the chamber was mired by several items that hand been knocked off their shelves and old plates of food from breakfast and last night's supper lay on the table, loosing the battle against the buzzing flies. Sighing, Merlin placed the sheets on the end of the bed and went to pile the plates on top of each other to be brought to the kitchens later.

"Good, you already got to work," Arthur said pleased as he walked into the chamber with a bright smile on his face; his voice startled Merlin and he dropped a plate onto the floor. "Stop what your doing, there's something more important for you to do. See those over there, go and retrieve them."

Merlin nodded, looking where Arthur pointed, and went to retrieve the bundle of clothing that Arthur had set out on a chair. He placed clothing onto the cleared table top and stepped back, whipping a hand to his face, as an awful stench rose into the air. "When was the last time these were cleaned?" he asked worriedly as he swatted the stench away from his nose. Once he was able to withstand the odour, he lifted the red jacket inlaid with brass buttons and examined it.

Arthur shrugged. "Last year sometime before the feast of Beltane."

"Did it end in a food fight?" Merlin wondered as he walked over to Arthur and slid the prince's arm through one of the sleeves.

"Don't all feasts?"

"I wouldn't know. The airs and graces of the feast are a mystery to me." Merlin slid the other sleeve over Arthur's arm and stepped back, analysing the jacket's fit; he was happy that it fit Arthur perfectly since he did not know how to fix it if was.

"Tonight they won't be," Arthur replied, moving his arms to feel the way the jacket was on his arms; it fit him tighter than the year before, he noted, but it was a good fit and he could easily handle a sword in it in case Bayard decided to attempt something.

"I'm going to the banquet?"

"Not quite," Arthur chuckled, sliding his arms out of the jacket. He slid his thumb across one of the buttons. You'll be there to make sure my cup doesn't run dry. If I have to sit through Bayard's boring speeches, I don't see why you have to get out of it." He shoved the jacket into Merlin's arm and said threateningly, "Oh, and don't forget to polish the buttons."

Merlin chuckled slightly as he placed the jacket back on the desk. "Need to look _spiffy_ for Azura, do you?" he muttered, perhaps too loudly; the comment sounded better in his head.

Arthur frowned at his servant's remark and disappeared behind the screen where he lifted up a pile of neatly-folded clothes. "Do you want to see what you'll be wearing tonight?" he asked darkly.

"Won't this do?" Merlin replied and turned to face Arthur, who peered around the screen. Self-consciously, Merlin patted his brown jacket, blue tunic with a red scarf, and his dark trousers.

"No." Arthur shook his head, looking up and down his servant's attire. "You will be wearing the ceremonial robes of the servants of Camelot." As he spoke with his voice adamant, he lifted up the clothing in his grasp.

The sight of the outfit Arthur held forced Merlin's stare off its hideousness. "You can't be serious," Merlin said doubtfully.

Arthur grinned as his head shook; it was a scary grin, one that sent shivers up and down Merlin's spine because he knew that he could not refuse or run away. "Oh no," the prince said, "it was Azura's idea and what ever she wants, I grant." He tossed Merlin the outfit and turned, reaching for the jacket that lay on the back of the chair beside the vacant fireplace..

"How are things between the two of you, anyway?" Merlin said and scowled as he placed the wretched clothing onto the table on top of the red jacket.

Arthur stared at him, raised an eyebrow, and walked out of his chamber, pulling on the jacket as he left.

-x-

Azura knocked on Kadian's chamber door, the feast would be starting soon. Slowly, the door creaked open with no one on the other side of the doorway. Perturbed at Kadian's lack of hiding her magic, Azura walked into the brightly-lit chamber and kicked the door shut behind her.

The princess sat on the edge of her bed, gazing out the open window where a subtle breeze entered the chamber. Kadian had yet to change into a suitable gown for the feast. Annoyed, she glanced at Azura with a strange stare. "What do you want?" she hissed quizzically and turned her eyes back to the clear-blue sky and white, puffy clouds.

"What's with the attitude?" Azura sighed and walked over to stand beside Kadian, resting a hand on the bedpost.

"_Merlin_." His name sounded like a deadly curse in Kadian's voice.

"What did he do now?" Azura sighed and sat beside her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Flirting with a pretty handmaids from Mercia," Kadian grumbled and crossed her arms at her chest as she stood up.

Laughing, Azura stood and turned Kadian to her, meeting her perturbed stare. "Kadian, between your brother and Uther, you of all people should know how arrogant men are. They don't know a good thing when it's right in front of them," she smiled radiantly.

Kadian sighed and her tense muscles relaxed. "You're right," she said softly, taking a long, deep breath. "We haven't even spoke, really, since the kiss..."

"Kadian, Kadian, Kadian. He's a man; they are slow when it comes to romantics, trust me. Don't wallow away in these thoughts that he doesn't care for you, because he does," Azura stated knowingly, prodding a finger into Kadian's shoulder. Then, she smiled darkly, one that was unfit for her soft feature, and added, "You have to see what Arthur's dressing him in."

"What?" Kadian asked intrigued and went around to her closet, retrieving a fancy gown. She disappeared behind the screen and change swiftly, flattening out and wrinkles the damask had accumulated. Reappearing, she tossed her other gown onto the back of a chair and rushed to her desk. Taking the comb in one hand, she brushed her hair while she fumbled through her jewellery with the other.

"Arthur is dressing him in that servant monkey suit; the feathered hat and everything," Azura smiled as she fixed her hair in the mirror and adjusted the top of her dress, making sure her breasts fit it well enough.

"_Excellent_," Kadian smirked and slid silver bangles onto her rests. Lastly, she secured her sapphire pendant around her neck, letting it rest on the top of her chest.

-x-

They entered the hall where the feast was to be held. Members of both courts were mingling in the chamber and talked amongst each other in a friendly manner where secretly, they wanted to draw the others blood. Kadian and Azura made their way through the crowd and to the table set for Uther and his family. Uther's impressive throne chair had been placed beside a horizontal table on which a white tablecloth was draped.

Arthur turned, like he sensed her nearby, and slowly let his eyes descend down her, gawking at the way the ivory gown complimented her shape as it went across her chest and fell to the floor in pure silk. A small, single gold belt was around her waist, dramatizing her curves as they moved with her graceful strides. Arthur walked over and took her from Kadian, who went to take a seat beside Morgana. Kissing her soft hand, Arthur led her to the chair next to his and pull it out for her.

Kadian glanced around the hall, looking for Merlin who had successfully eluded her gaze for long enough. She found him standing within the crowd of servants that gathered behind the royal family's table and she had to stop herself from falling out of her chair; her cheeks burned read and even with her hand muffling her laughs, several people turned to look curiously at her.

Merlin wore a hideous, red tunic that embellished the golden dragon of Camelot on his chest. Tied around his neck was a red cloak with a raised collar that looked to have belonged to Count Dracula. To top it off, a tall, red hat stood on Merlin's head from which red and green feathers reached upward and covered his annoyed scowl with frayed shadows. He refused to meet Kadian amused gaze and sunk his shoulder, glaring at Arthur who was grinning at him. Scowling, Merlin removed the horrid hat and combed his fingers through his flat hair.

The ceremony began and everyone but the Kings and Arthur took their seats and waited patiently; Bayard's son was in Mercia, taking his father's place in case anything were to happen in his absence. Uther took hold of a quill and signed the piece of parchment that was the treaty between the two kingdoms. Once he finished inscribing his name, he placed the quill back in the inkwell and stepped back to stand with beside Arthur as King Bayard inscribed his own name.

The two Kings took each other's arms and stared into the other's eyes, wondering if they had made the right decision in making peace. Those witnessing the event brought their hands together in applause. As the Uther went to his seat, with Arthur following, King Bayard began to speak.

"People of Camelot," Bayard began with his voice booming and shaking his beard, "for a great many years we have been mortal enemies. The blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. And though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them. As a symbol of our good will and of our new found friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your children, Arthur and Kadian, in the hope that our friendship will last."

As he spoke proudly, a servant had carried a wooden box over to him and removed the cover. King Bayard reached into the box and lifted two of the three goblets. The chalices were of pure silver, engraved with a marvellous design that went along the rim. He returned the goblets to their box and the servant went over and handed one to Uther and his two children.

Azura's attention shifted from Bayard's boring speech and she glanced over at Merlin as Kara came up behind him. Azura could hear them speaking and drowned out Bayard's mono-toned voice to listen to them. "Merlin, I need to speak to you," Kara said softly in a panicked tone.

"What is it?" Merlin turned to her, blushing at her pretty face.

"Not here, please. I don't know who else to tell," Kara whispered and caught Azura's glance out of the corner of her eyes; Arthur nudged Azura's hand and she turned back to the uninteresting, pious Bayard.

Merlin followed Kara silently from the hall, avoiding Kadian's curious glare. She attention was returned to Bayard as he addressed them. Lifting her goblet into her grasp, she stood alongside her father.

"To your health, Uther, Arthur, Kadian" King Bayard stated and rose the goblet in his hand toward his new friends. As went to sip the alluring wine that swirled in his goblet, Bayard continued and tipped his goblet slightly toward the King's ward, "the Lady Morgana, and the people of Camelot."

Arthur went to sip again, but Uther's froze dragged the goblet away from his lips. "And to fallen warriors, on both sides," Uther added and raised his silver goblet to Bayard and those of Mercia.

Bayard bowed his head slightly, respectively giving Uther the last word, and everyone in the hall raised a goblet to their mouths. And before the first drop of alluring wine could touch the prince's lips, Merlin raced into the chamber, shouting, "Stop! It's poisoned! Don't drink it!" Arthur watched his goblet longingly as Merlin snatched it from his grasp; he had been so close to wetting his dry pallet.

"What?" Uther growled, lowering his goblet before it touched his lips, and set an unpleasant glare upon his son's manservant.

Azura released her goblet quickly and it thumped heavily on the table, yet it did not fall. She gazed up at Arthur, who stared at his manservant in disbelief, "Merlin, what are you doing?"

Merlin's stare reached the impatient Bayard whose face was red as a tomato in his fury. "King Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison," he stated unrelenting, showing all in the hall the goblet he stole from Arthur.

"This is an outrage!" Bayard bellowed harshly and drew the sword from his leather belt; it released a soft hiss as it slid out of its sheath. The men armed in the hall drew their swords, jumping to their feet in preparation to leap onto a rival man before him. Azura looked over at Kadian, wondering if Merlin had had too many blows to the head recently from Arthur; she wished, though, that she had brought her brother's sword with her.

"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther demanded as he rose to his feet slowly, glancing over at each of his armed men surrounding him. "You are outnumbered."

"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!" Bayard pointed his sword at Uther, causing many of the men of Camelot to flinch.

Uther's eyes moved back to Merlin. "On what ground to you base these accusations?" he asked darkly with his brow furrowed and shadows cast across his dark blue eyes.

Kadian cocked her head to the side, examining Merlin's hesitation in answer the King's question; she thought he was being ludicrous and perhaps the pretty handmaid had snogged him a little too tenderly for his mental capacity.

"I'll handle this," Arthur growled as he walked around the table, careful to avoid knocking into Azura's chair, and grasped Merlin roughly by the shoulder. "Merlin, you _idiot_, been at the slow gin again?" He took the goblet from his servant and placed it on the table as he brought Merlin to stand before the savage Uther.

"Unless you want to be strung up, you'll tell me why you think it's poisoned, now," Uther scowled as he leaned over the table with his hands curled tightly around its edge.

"It was seen lacing," Merlin stated, holding his own ground feebly.

"By whom?" Uther asked hastily, glancing at Bayard whose face was a red as his.

"I can't say," Merlin sighed, sinking his shoulder as he realized that he had not thought this act through; he had heard poison and ran to save Arthur.

"I won't listen to this any more," Bayard stated impatiently, lowering his sword slightly.

"Pass me the goblet," Uther ordered and received the chalice from Arthur as he walked around the table. He approached Bayard with stalking strides. "If you are telling the truth..."

"I am."

"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?" Uther grinned and glanced down at the swirling wine before gaze at Bayard.

Sheathing his sword, Bayard held out a meaty hand and flexed for Uther to hand him the chalice.

Uther shook his head. "No. If this does prove to be poisoned, then I want the pleasure of killing you myself," Uther stated indifferently; Bayard scoffed at how confident Uther's words were. Prying his dark stare away from Bayard, Uther held the goblet out to Merlin. "He'll drink it."

"But if it's poisoned, he'll die," Arthur protested with his heart leaping; he did not want to witness anyone dying during the feast, then there would not be a food fight.

"Then we will know that he was telling the truth." Uther glanced at his son, unhappy for the protest.

As Merlin reached for the goblet, Bayard's head shook, "Wait." Uther turned his eyes onto the man whom he thought to call ally. "It would be unjust to have one of our own people drink from it. Perhaps someone outside of our quarrel should drink from it."

"Like whom?" Uther wondered, dragging the goblet away from Merlin; he was intrigued by the idea.

"The Lady Azura, perhaps?" Bayard stated quizzically and extended a hand toward Azura who stood at her name.

Hesitantly, Azura stepped around the table but Arthur put out a hand to stop her. "Sit down, Azura. She resides in Camelot now since the downfall of Luthrembel," he stated firmly.

"It's alright, Arthur," Azura said softly, pushing his arm down. "I've nothing to live for, so why not enjoy the rush?" Her voice was uncanny for the woman she portrayed herself to be every day. It was like she had the fire within her that Kadian remembered from their days as children, always wanting to risk everything for a moment's pleasure. She reached for the goblet, but Arthur pushed her toward her seat.

"I told you to sit down," Arthur growled, frustrated. He tore the silver chalice from his father's grasp as Azura sat down with a perturbed eyebrow raised.

"Merlin, apologize!" Arthur demanded, glancing at Merlin, then Kadian, and finally, his stare met his father's. "This is a mistake. I'll drink it."

"No, I will drink it," Merlin scowled and took the goblet forcibly from Arthur's hand and stepped away before it could be snatched. He lifted the goblet toward Bayard, tilting it slightly in a salute, and he placed the cold rim to his lips, pouring the sweet wine down his throat.

Kadian held her breath as a knot formed in the pit of her stomach and her heart began to thump loudly in her chest. If the chalice was laced with poisoned, then she would never get a chance to be held in his arms again; he would die knowing that she had been angry with him, and Kadian did not want to see live with the guilt for the rest of her life. She watched at the edge of her seat as Merlin gulped down every last drop of wine.

Merlin lowered the chalice from his lips and turned to Bayard, puzzled. "It's fine," he informed, glancing into the depths of the chalice with a curious thought; it should have been poisoned, that was what Kara said.

The knot in Kadian's stomach was untied as she sighed in relief; but her relief was short lived. Merlin's hand shot up to his throat as it began to burn like a raging fire. He started to choke as his airway started to constrict and close. His eyebrows scrunched together as his eyelids fought to stay open and his eyes watered in pain. He collapsed onto the floor with the chalice crashing to the floor with a booming clang and rolling away from his grasp.

Kadian jumped to her feet and ran to his side, dropping to her knees and taking up a limp hand. Arthur rushed over, kneeling down, as the men of the hall drew there swords and pointed them at the man they wanted to slay first. Azura took hold of the knife beside the plate before her, jumping to her feet, and Morgana stood as well, reaching for whatever was in her grasp to use as a club.

Gaius rushed over from his position in the rear of the chamber and felt Merlin's forehead. His voice was mellow as he asked, "Merlin, can you hear me?"

There was no reply.

"Gaius?" Kadian stated and gazed at the physician with glassy eyes.

"We need to get him back to my chambers." He refused to meet her gaze; he did not want to supply her with hope if it were to be shattered.

Nodding, Arthur lifted Merlin onto his shoulders while Kadian grabbed the chalice. Gaius led them from the chamber, leaving behind the dark, heated stares as Uther called for Mercia's court to be arrested.

Azura's eyes seemed to darken as Bayard stood there with his eyes bugging out of the sockets and his eyebrows raised in utter shock. How could he have not known that it was poisoned? He had suggested for her to drink the wine; she knew he would be pleased to have witnessed the last member of his sworn enemy die. Azura did not move until the last member of Mercia's court was removed from the hall, nor did she lower the dull knife.

-x-

Gaius pushed open the door to his chamber, guiding Arthur and Kadian into the chamber. "Put him on the bed, quickly. He's struggling to breathe," he stated sharply as he pointed to the vacant cot in the centre of the chamber. As Arthur placed his servant down, Gaius instructed Kadian to fetch some water and a towel. Kadian nodded and rested the laced goblet gently onto the physician's work bench.

Arthur stared down at Merlin, unsure of what to do; he could not believe that Bayard had tried to poison him. He looked up as Kadian re-entered with a pitcher of water in her hands; she asked, "You will be able to cure him, won't you Gaius?"

"I won't know until I can identify the poison," the physician replied and pulled a stool beside the cot, taking a seat upon it. He took the pitcher from Kadian and dunked a towel into the chill water. Placing the damp towel onto Merlin's brow, he looked at Kadian who's eyes were wide with fear. "Pass me the goblet."

Kadian nodded and handed the physician the goblet. He needed his glasses to see the inside of the chalice and switched place with Kadian, who dipped the towel into the water and placed it on Merlin's scalding forehead . Take up his looking glass, Gaius examined the inside rim of the silver goblet and gasped, "Ah, there is something stuck to it."

Arthur turned to the physician, curiously. "What is it?"

"Looks to be a flower petal of some kind," Gaius noted, taking a set of tweezers and removing a translucent object from the inside of the cup.

"His brow's on fire," Kadian stated worriedly, dabbing the towel in the cool water. She placed it back on his forehead and heaved a sigh when she felt his fever burn through the coldness of the water. He groaned as he lay, choking for air with his lips pressed together, keeping him from shouting through the fire inside him. "Come on, Merlin. You'll make it through this," she said tenderly, stroking his crimson cheeks with the towel.

"Keep him cool, it'll control his fever," Gaius instructed as he held the petal in the ray of sunlight to examine it better.

The door swung open and they all jumped as Azura rushed in and stopped dead in her track several paces from the swing door. Averting Arthur's stare, not wanting to deal with him know, she stared at the transparent petal Gaius held in the light. "Please tell me you didn't pull that from the cup," she said harshly set her eyes on Merlin; his pain brought forth a memory she had long since locked away to never be revisited.

"Unfortunately, I cannot," Gaius replied, lowering the petal. He saw the pain that swam in her eyes and he felt the sadness lance his old heart. "You know what this is?"

"I should. It's a petal of the mortaeus flower. It does not take long to kill, perhaps four-five days if not less," Azura said softly with her voice just above a whisper; the way she spoke sounded like she was reading directly from a text. "Only a potion made by the same flower can reverse its deadly effects. The mortaeus flower is extremely rare; I am surprised that Bayard could find one."

Upon hearing the flower's name, a spark lit in Gaius' eyes and he went to his collection of books that lay stacked in the far corner in leaning towers. He pulled a volume free from the middle, nearly sending the rest tumbling over, and placed it harshly onto his bench.

Rapidly, he flipped through many pages until he placed his hand on one aged-yellow page. There was a sketch of the mortaeus flower on the left of the page with a description to its right. "It can only be found in the caves deep within the Forest of Balor. It grows on the roots of the mortaeus tree in the heart of the Forest."

Kadian and Azura shivered as they remember their previous experience in the Forest of Balor. Gaius turned the page slowly, scanning the last paragraph on the page, and Arthur, who read over the physician's shoulder, pressed his index finger onto a drawing of an ugly creature. "That's not particularly friendly," the prince said as he looked at the beast's long, forked tongue and sharp, curved claws.

"The cockatrice: it guards the forest. Its venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death," Gaius paraphrased as Azura walked over, glancing at Kadian whose shoulder sunk further, and read over Arthur's shoulder. "'Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isguard in search of the mortaeus flower have made it back alive'."

Arthur stepped back, nearly stumbling into Azura, and thought for a moment, debating his options of how to act. He could go and risk his life for his servant or he could stay and watch Merlin die. Then, he recalled the way his sister looked at Merlin every time they were in sight of each other; she would catch her breath and stop in the middle of a corridor; Merlin would meet her startled gaze and she would blush.

Arthur had never seen his sister smile as much as she had since Merlin's arrival. "Sounds like fun," he said, clapping his hands together; however, his voice was not alone but mingled with Azura's sweet tones.

He looked down at her but she refused to meet his gaze and kept it locked on the illustration of the mortaeus flower, that Gaius had returned to. She traced it with her fingers as if she could feel its velvet, yellow petals and deathly, emerald-green stem; it seemed like the drawing had bewitched her, taking control of her mind. "It's way too dangerous," Gaius protested, looking from Arthur to Azura.

"If we don't get the antidote, Merlin _will_ die. I've seen the mortaeus flower kill. It isn't a death I'd wish on anyone," Azura stated and lifted her aquamarine eyes from the drawing, setting them upon the physician. It had been many moons ago did she witness the mortaeus kill and she could still hear the screams of the dying.

"_We_ aren't going anywhere," Arthur said and Azura threw him a glare. "You are staying here and I'm going."

"But..." Azura argued with her cheeks a hot crimson.

"That's enough, Azura. It's too dangerous for you," Arthur growled and without a sound, he left the physician's chamber.

Azura was speechless as she watched him go irritably. Her fingers gradually crunched together in a fist against her palm. Gaius placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she seemed to relax. Kadian turned her worried eyes from Merlin and to Azura, studying her boiling rage. Her head tilted to the side as she thought about what Azura said about her seeing the flower kill. "Zu... who did you see die this way?" she asked faintly; the last thing she wanted to do would anger Azura more than she already was.

Azura's head shook and she gazed at the floor. "Someone close" was all she said before she exited the chamber, slamming the door shut behind her.

Kadian took Merlin's hand in hers, stroking the back of it with her thumb. "Please, Merlin," she begged softly, squeezing the cool water onto his brow, "stay with me."

-x-

Uther stalked down the hall with his son behind him, nearly begging to be given permission to go on the journey to the Forest of Balor. The King had seen the court of Mercia thrown into the dungeons and he felt oddly happy that he had done so. He refused to look his son in the eye as they walked hastily down the vacant corridor. "What is the point of having your people taste for you if you get killed anyway?" he asked growling.

"I won't fail, no matter what you think," Arthur protested with a sheath in his hand. He was already suited in his silver mail and it would only take minutes to saddle his horse and ride out; he could be at the Forest before nightfall.

"Arthur, you are my only son and heir..." Uther argued.

"What about Kadian? She _is_ my sister! If I do fail, and I won't, father, she would be the only person I could see running this kingdom the way it should be," Arthur snapped; he disliked the way Uther spoke as if Kadian did not exist. "Don't you think that I don't know what I am risking."

Uther spun around as his daughter's name rolled off his son's tongue; his face was scarlet and the vein on his temple was bulging in his rage. "Kadian's future is of no concern now," he growled fiercely with a fiery glare. "I will not risk your life for the sake of some serving boy."

"Because his life's worthless?"

"No, because it is worth less than yours."

"I can save him. Let me take some men."

"No."

"We'll find the antidote and bring it back."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because one day I will be dead and Camelot will need a king. I will not let you jeopardize the future of this kingdom over some fool's errand," Uther snapped turning away from his son.

"Please, father. He saved... he saved Azura's life," Arthur said, deciding to take a different approach; surely he had forced Azura to sit down, but that would not have stopped her, they both knew that. "Would we be having this argument if it was her life that was slipping though our fingers?" Arthur asked defensively.

A point had been made and it left Uther struggling for words. Would Arthur's life be worth more than Azura's in Uther eyes? Uther's selfish and would do anything to make sure Arthur remained his heir; so, a better question would be: could Uther endure watching his son wither away in the guilt for not stopping Azura's death?

"I won't stand by a watch him die," Arthur growled, knowing that the argument was at a stalemate with his last statement.

Uther's voice was grim and adamant as he snarled, "Then don't look."

"Father!"

"Damn it! Arthur, that is an end to it," Uther snapped with his face burning as hot as a crackling fire in a hearth. The King took a heavy breath and let it expel harshly.

Arthur met his father's gaze until he was forced to look away by the power of the anger in Uther's eyes.

-x-

He stormed into his chamber, throwing his sheath onto the cluttered table, and approached the blazing hearth. He placed his hands on the mantle above and gazed down defeated at the whipping tongues of fire beneath him. It bothered him that Uther had so little faith in his capability to retrieve the mortaeus flower; surely he had been in more dangerous situations than the Forest of Balor. But, no; Uther wanted to teach him a lesson about being King: people will die for you and you must watch. Arthur shook his head, he did not want to be that kind of King.

A soft, compassionate voice sounded and Arthur turned to see Morgana standing in the open doorway. "Say what you like about the food, but you can't beat our feasts for entertainment." She grinned and stepped into the chamber, noticing his sword lying awkwardly on the tabletop.

"Morgana, sorry, I should have made sure that you were alright," Arthur said absently as he pushing off the mantle and stepped toward the closed window.

"Disappointed actually," Morgana sighed as she walked behind him with silent footsteps. "I was looking forward to clumping them 'round the head a ladle."

"The guards could have handled Bayard and his men," he replied amused and glanced in her direction.

She was skimming her fingers across his sheath wondrously. "_Yeah_, but why let the boys have all the fun?"

"Morgana, you shouldn't get involved. It's dangerous."

"Spare me the lecture, I've already heard it from Uther." She gazed at him darkly, wondering why he was being like this, like his father.

Arthur's head dropped and he sighed, knowing it was not in his interest to fight with her. "If it's any consolation, so have I."

"My, my, listening to your father, are you? Sometimes you need to do what you think is right and damn the consequences. It hasn't stopped Azura, even _if_ you told her not to..." Morgana turned away as Arthur whipped around with his eyes upon her in a subtle rage.

Stalking slowly toward her, Arthur spoke in a low, harsh tone like he was trying to hold his temper. "Are you telling me that Zu is on her way to the Forest of Balor?" It irked him to hear that Azura disobeyed him like she had in the caverns to the underground reservoir. He had heard the story about her last encounter with the forest, the escorts had be murdered by someone cloaked in thick shadows, a sorcerer they came to conclude.

"Not yet," Morgana shrugged, avoiding his fiery gaze. "She's probably sharpening her arrows before she goes. What has she to lose? Arthur, there's little if nothing left to her name, no family, so why not?" She curled her fingers around the hilt of his sword, the pommel reached passed her wrist, and she slid the blade partially out of the scabbard. "You know Azura. If she can make a difference, she will do whatever it takes." She shrugged, gazing at the amber gleam the steel of the sword caught from the hearth. "Even _if_ it kills her."

Arthur followed her gaze onto his sword. "You think I should go with her?" He asked softly.

"It doesn't matter what I think. What kind of mando _you_ think Azura wants? One that'll risk his life for that of a lonely servant?" Morgana asked curiously, pulling the sword free from its casing. Holding the blade across her delicate hands, she stepped close to Arthur. "Or one that does what his father tells him to?" Cocking her head to the side, she held the sword up for him to take.

Arthur's fingers wrapped around the hilt and took the sword from Morgana's hands. Women, there was no point arguing with them because in the end, he'd have to give up and agree with them. "Where is she?" he asked, reaching for the sheath.

Morgana grinned, happy that she managed to persuade him. "The stables," she answered curtly.

He left the chamber in a hurry, tying the sheath to his belt ran down the corridor, and Morgana watched with a faint smile. As she slowly made her way to her chamber, she said a soft prayer in hope that both would return to Camelot in one piece.

-x-

No guards were stationed at the doors to the royal stables; well, none after Arthur sent a servant telling them that they were being reassigned to a different post. He slowly pushed the door open, letting the aged wood fall against the wall with a faint thud. Cautiously, he stepped inside and gazed about; a bay horse stood at the far end, tethered to a post. It shook its dark mane, lashing the warm air, and snouted as the prince approached.

Azura sat with her legs crossed on a stool beside the stallion, an arrow in hand and a flat stone in the other, and harshly, she slid the stone against the arrowhead. She wore dark leggings tucked beneath leather boots and a metallic, white-grey suit of mail with sleeves that trailed to her wrists; she glowed in the amber torchlight that flicked shadows across her concentrating face. The deer-skin quiver was slung over her head.

Hearing the faint echoes of his boots against the soil, she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his curious, angered eyes. "It's about time you showed up, Arthur. I thought I was to go alone," she said gently as she rose to her feet, placing the arrow back into the quiver. Tossing the flat rock aside, she walked forward and untethered the stallion. "You cannot persuade me to stay in Camelot, Arthur; I will not listen."

"I won't." He stood before her, taking the reins from her hands. "Promise me that you will be careful."

"I will be." She smiled.

Nodding hesitantly, Arthur turned and mounted the stallion, pulling back on the reins told hold the beast still. Then, he extended his arm toward her and, once she grasped it firmly, lifted her onto the back of the saddle.

Azura wrapped her arms around his waist and her fingers flexed, lower than he expected, before interlocking. With a flustered face, Arthur flicked the reins and spurred the horse into a gallop.

-x-

At the crawling echo of rushing hooves, the guards positioned at the gates of Camelot turned sharply, thrusting their pikes in front of them. When Arthur's face came into view, they demanded that he stopped, but Arthur paid no mind to their demands and spurred the bay stallion to go faster. With its shoes sparking against the brick pathway, the horse pushed through the guard's formation and turned sharply, following the road out of the city and into the wood.

-x-

Kadian glanced up as she heard the guards shouting for someone to wake the King. Her lips formed a dark, pleased grin as she placed the damp towel back on Merlin's scalding forehead. It hurt her to watch him suffer, tossing and turning in his restless sleep. She knew that he was fighting the poison to open his eyes, even for just a moment, so he could could see her face once more before he was taken away.

-x-

The sun peeked over the shadowed horizon, shedding its lemon rays over the sleeping land of Albion. Slowly, the yellow orb ascended into the sky and shed its light through the many windows of the palace of Camelot. Kadian placed the damp cloth on Merlin's brow, squinting as the light hit her eyes square; she and the physician had stayed up through the night. "He's getting hotter," Kadian stated, glancing over at the physician.

Gaius was standing beside the window, gazing out as the town slowly stirred to life. He turned at the sound of her concerned voice and went over and took Merlin's wrist. As he counted the beats of the warlock's struggling heart, Merlin began to speak through his short, pain-filled breaths. It was an obscure sound of which neither could comprehend.

"What spell is that?" Kadian wondered, dunking the towel into the water pail; if anything, the sounds were close to the incantations she had learned through reading the volumes Gaius and Azura gave to them.

"None that I know of. It must be his mind shutting down," Gaius sighed grimly, frowning when he lost his count. "You should get some rest, my dear." His voice was low, mingling with numbers on his breath.

"I won't be able to sleep knowing that he's dying," Kadian replied, reapplying the towel onto Merlin's sweaty brow. He caught his breath harshly and painfully let it expel from his trembling lips; his cheeks were crimson with strain and his eyes were pressed firmly together.

Heaving a sigh, the physician dropped Merlin's arm gently onto the cot. "His pulse is weaker," he stated softly mixed with a sough. It ached his old bones to see his nephew in such a terrible state, one that was out of his power to cure.

Startled, Gaius sat forward, seeing that Merlin's sleeve had rolled up. There was a faint, red mark that stained Merlin's forearm. Gaius drew the sleeve back for a closer look. Kadian glanced over and then away at the sight. A coarse, circular, scarlet rash had developed against his pale skin.

"That can't be right. The rash isn't suppose to appear until the final stages," Gaius gasped and shifted his weary eyes onto Kadian; she met his gaze curiously and worriedly as her heart skipped a long beat.

"What does that mean?" Kadian asked, more like demanded, as she glanced over at the rash.

They rose to their feet and rushed over to the open text on Gaius' work bench; Kadian had dropped the towel into the pail. Gaius took up his looking glass and scanned the open page, reading the tiny, curly inscription on the page.

"It says here," Gaius said, placing an wrinkled forefinger on the page, "that 'once a rash appears, death will follow within two days'."

Kadian read the words for herself, gripping the skirt of her gown tightly. A sudden fury blossomed inside her and she set a threatening stare on the physician as she said fiercely, "I thought Zu said he had four days."

"Something must have increased the flowers potency..." Gaius mused and turned back to the aged-yellow pages, scanning through the text again. He gasped when he found what he was looking for. "It warns that the effect of the mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation."

"Enchantment?" Kadian gasped, spinning to gaze at the suffering Merlin who was speaking his strange words louder; the sight of him lanced her in a way no weapon could and she knew that she could not empathize with the raging pain that was burning him alive. "Then, We can rule Bayard out, he's no more a sorcerer than my father," Kadian sighed and slipped her gaze away from Merlin's agony. Through an angled glanced, she looked at the physician, "Who would go to such lengths to kill my brother? I mean, he may be a stuck-up ass, but magical venomous flowers seems a bit far-fetched for his death."

Gaius pondered for a moment, pressing a hand to his cheekbone and furrowing his brow. He piped up suddenly, startling Kadian, and shook his head disbelievingly. "It can't have been..." He paused, trying to dismiss the possibility. "She wouldn't dare come here..." He stopped and gasped in enlightenment. "Unless that _girl_."

"What girl? That pretty handmaid who Merlin was fancying?" Kadian growled; the girl, Kara, had taken Merlin from the hall before he stormed in screaming _poison_. "What about her?"

"I having a bad feeling that she isn't who she said she is, but a powerful sorceress," Gaius replied frightfully as he walked over to Merlin and pressed a hand against the warlock's forehead; it was hot with fever.

"Then she'd be long gone by now and not in the cell with the rest of Bayard and the filth of Mercia," Kadian spat fiercely, cursing the city's name, and retook her seat by Merlin . She placed her hand gently in his palm in hope that her touch would miraculously cure him. "You think it was Nimueh, don't you?"

Gaius nodded, concerned that she knew the priestess' name. "I hope that I am incorrect, for Merlin's sake."

"Oh no..." Kadian gasped, turning to the physician were wide, petrified eyes. "Nimueh knows that the flower can only be found in one place, the Forest of Balor. What if Azura and Arthur are walking into one of her traps?"

They turned to Merlin, hearing him speak a name that they knew all too well. His voice was shaky and uncanny as it escaped his burning throat. "_Ar-thur..._"

-x-

The sun was near its mighty zenith by the time they reached the entrance to the Forest of Balor. A great many emerald and brown trees lay before them, cloaking the winding road into its belly with heavy, black shadows. A raven cawed in the distance and flew swiftly from the high roves. It was a vast forest and stretched as far as their eye could see, over the horizon.

With the sun beating harshly on their heads, Arthur spurred the horse to move forward. Azura's head was resting lazily on Arthur's shoulder, fighting off the urge to fall asleep. They had travelled all through the night, knowing that each waking minute was a minute closer to Merlin's death. Neither had spoken during the night; it would have roused anything slumbering and could have brought about danger.

Fresh, green leaves fell around them as the wind howled through the wide trunks like a wolf's cry. Deeper and deeper into the forest they travelled in silence, unaware of the watching eye of a pretty, evil sorceress. As the trees thickened and the road vanished from sight, Arthur dismounted the bay horse and helped Azura down.

She gazed around, taking in the ominous sights of the forest. They reminded her of the evening she last spent here and she shivered. "Even in daylight this place gives me the creeps," she stated softly as she bent over and picked up a twig from the leaf-caked earth.

"Just stay close me. I can't have you getting hurt," Arthur replied as he gazed at her adoringly, watching how she examined the twig before tossing it into the heavy brush.

"Of course," Azura smiled and patted the stallion's snout, grinning at his soft fur. The horse stared at her and snorted, lashing its dark mane through the air. Arthur gently folded his hand around hers, cheeks turning a faint pink, and they set off.

A green-tinted fog thickened around them, obscuring their gaze to only several feet before them. They trailed onward, down a steep slope, which Azura slipped and nearly tumbled down. Laughing at her clumsiness, she took Arthur's arm and she was pulled to her feet. Arthur, unable to find the words to scold her, just shook his head.

Trees swarmed around them, intertwining with the green haze and the heavy brush. A soft hiss emerged from their left and only Azura flinched slightly, looking around. From a small den in the ground, a dark creature stuck its split tongue and waved it in the air before retreating into the depths of its den.

They continued, one foot in front of the other, passing fallen branches that were spilt up the middle and coated with thick, green moss. Hearing a soft whimper on the hazed air, Azura reached back for her bow and Arthur's hand whipped to his sword, hearts racing.

A girl sat on a fallen log, weeping, with a bleeding gash on her arm. Her long, curly, raven hair was draped on her shoulders while her serene-blue gaze was to the ground. She seemed so delicate and innocent sitting there, crying, in her torn, wine-coloured gown. "Stay here," Arthur whispered to Azura as he tethered the horse's reins to a fallen tree limb. Azura nodded, watching the girl suspiciously.

"Hello?" Arthur stalked toward her cautiously, not wanting to frighten her into thinking he was an enemy. He knelt down beside her, nodding for Azura to keep watch of the surroundings, and gazed at the drying blood that was smeared on her arm. "Are you alright?"

The girl screamed, looking passed Arthur with her blue eyes wide with horror. "_Arthur!_" Azura shouted. Arthur glanced at Azura puzzled and slowly spun around to see what the women were gaping at.

"Stay back!" He told them as he unsheathed his sword and stood ready to battle the beast that growled before him. It was the cockatrice that Gaius had warned him about. Its flabby, brown body stood on all-fours and tensed as a low snarl rumbled from its throat. The large bright-orange wings on its back flared outward as it roared and bared its ivory fangs, spitting venomous saliva into the air with the skin of its neck rippling.

Arthur held up his sword, watching the cockatrice as it announced a challenging, digging its curled claws into the soft earth.. The prince spun his sword in a figure eight as he slowly stalked forward to meet the beast in combat. It roared, spitting, and rushed forward with heavy footsteps that shook the earth.

Arthur jabbed his sword forward and the beast leapt back in alarm, studying his opponent with soulless, black eyes. It continued to growl as his eyes stared ravenously at Arthur. With its teeth bared, the cockatrice rose onto its hind legs and jumped into the air, flaring out its massive wings and kicking Arthur to the ground with a powerful thrust of its hind legs.

His sword fell from his grasp, and was too far to reach. Arthur rolled onto his back and the beast fell on top of him, placing a heavy leg on his chest. Its small, potent teeth were inches from his face, savouring its prey's last moment alive. Arthur struggled to free himself but the beast was too heavy and crushed his chest as he moved.

The wounded girl watched with an evil grin curving her delicate, red lips.

Azura drew back the bowstring and released an arrow that soared through the air with impeccable speed, a brown flash in the thinning, green fog. The cockatrice wailed, stumbling off the prince, as the arrow pierced its flabby neck. It roared, turning its blood-curdling stare onto the archer.

"Over here, you fat, ugly, _disgusting_ brute!" Azura taunted as she stepped away from the stallion. A second arrow was notched, ready to be launching through the crisp air.

Arthur watched helplessly as the beast leapt over him and raced across the earth, kicking up the leaves. Azura rolled over her shoulder, holding the arrow tight in the hook, and out of the cockatrice's charge; and as she rose to her feet without fault, she shot the arrow.

The cockatrice showed no pain as the arrow collided with is hind leg, spilling its thick, crimson blood. It lashed its tail through the air and swept Azura off her feet as it turned. She fell to the ground hard and held her bow above her centre to protect herself. Stalking forward with saliva dripping from the corners of its black lips, the cockatrice towered over Azura; it would not refuse an appetizer before the entrée. The beast's thick, slimy drool dribbled down onto her face; she turned her head was turned away, preventing the venom from seeping into her mouth to be swallowed.

Blood splattered onto the side of her face as Arthur's sword dug into the cockatrice's throat. It screamed, rising the birds from the trees as it stumbled away from Azura and took Arthur's sword in the chest. The malicious beast collapsed on its side and its blood poured over the leaves, releasing a foul odour into the air.

Azura coughed, fighting to retrieve the air that was stolen; he midsection ached profusely, throbbing with each rise and fall of her chest. Arthur knelt down beside her, wiping the blood and saliva off of her face. "Zu, are you all right?" he asked frantically, pulling her to him and embracing her tightly; this was exactly what he wanted to prevent.

"Oof, _spectacular,_" she groaned as she took sharp breaths. "Help me up."

He lifted her to her feet and caught her as she stumbled onto him. Arthur stared into her expressive eyes, seeing the pain that lingered in them. He led her over to the log where the woman sat, staring at them suspicious. "Are you absolutely sure?"Arthur pressed, caressing her cheek once she sat.

"Seriously, I'm fine," Azura replied softly, wincing as she took a deep breath. She looked over at the woman who stared at them with wide, curious and petrified eyes. "It's alright, we won't harm you. Who did that to you?"

"M-my master," the woman stammered softly as she backed away, glancing at the cut on her arm. "I ran away from him, but then I got lost. Please don't leave me." She stared at them, her blue eyes pleasing.

"We won't," Arthur smiled, sweeping his eyes over Azura's face before turning to the woman. "We aren't going to."

"You can take me away from here?" the woman asked, her eyes widening with hope; the thought of escaping the Forest curved her lips into a thankful smile.

"Not yet. There's something we need to do first," Arthur replied and stared passed the woman. The mouth of a cave could be seen faintly through the fog with long, tendrils of ivy dangling above the hollow darkness. Following his gaze to the unwelcoming cave, Azura shivered, think of the possible creatures that lived in there.

Arthur helped Azura back to her feet; she winced, taking a harsh breath, and nodded reassuringly. The woman turned to them, raising a thin eyebrow as she watched the two exchange nervous glances. "Why have you come to the caves?" asked the woman softly with her crimson lips grinning.

"We're looking for something. It can only be found here," Arthur replied, dropping Azura's hands gently, and went to collect the horse who nibbled on a rough patch of grass that stood erect through the leaf.

"What is it?" The woman looked from Azura to Arthur curiously, seeing the subtle glances that passed between them. Her head tilted to the side as she spoke softly, "I know this place. I could help you."

"It's a... it's a flower of some kind," Arthur stated flustered as he brought the stallion over to them.

"It is really rare flower," Azura added with a cheery smile and stroked the stallion's tan snout; he snorted and swatted a fly with his ear. The woman's eyes grew wide and the golden sunlight caught her eyes in a strange way, brightening her pale skin.

"The mortaeus flower?" She asked, receiving a puzzled glance from the pair, and smiled sweetly. "I know where it is. I can show you if you'd like," she offered and gazed over her shoulder at the mouth of the cave.

There was something about the woman that did not settle with Azura; her insides were twisting and every time the woman spoke, Azura felt her throat clench. She did not see Arthur turn to her after agreeing being guided to the flower.

"I want you to stay out here. I don't know what lies in there and I can't have you getting hurt any more than you are." He spoke soothingly and compassionately, reaching up with a gentle hand to tuck the loose strands of her yellow hair behind her ear. She blushed, gazing down at the dirt-stained toes of her boots.

"Why?" Azura whispered and stole a glance to the woman. Azura was being watched by a keen, analysing eye like that of a hunter examining its prey.

"You can barely walk and I cannot keep an eye on both of you. It is dark and cramped in there; you'd be better off out here in the _open_," Arthur said gently; he seemed to trust the woman and rose an eyebrow at Azura's obvious suspicions.

Azura sighed and caught his passive gaze; the concern in his eyes, the intensity mixed his a certain compassion, made her feel like she was drowning in the sapphire colour. She knew that it would be best for both their sakes if she stayed in the forest, hidden and alert, ready to ride back to Camelot within the moment he stepped from the caves.

"What if something else like that _beast_ comes? I can't fend it off by myself," she said, motioning toward the limp corpse of the cockatrice. An outstretched, tangerine wing twitched as a gentle breeze swept through the labyrinth of the forest.

"Then, you flee here and wait for me outside the forest," Arthur stated, cupping his hands on her fair shoulders. He stared deep into her gaze, studying her thoughts that were written in the glowing irises. There was part of him that would not let go of the risk of dying within the caves; he did not know what creatures thrived in the dark abyss, waiting for the ignorant adventure to wander into their long-planned trap. "If I am not back by night fall..."

"Go get help?" Azura replied, cocking her head to the side. She smiled and took the reins from his hand.

"I was going to say come in after me, but that's a better plan," he admitted with a quick shrug. Then, he noticed her sarcasm and grinned. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"I'll be waiting for you, Arthur. Please," Azura nodded, emphasising the _please_, and warned sternly, "Be careful."

"I will. I promise," Arthur smiled amused. The birdsong overhead had stopped, leaving the forest in an awkward silence; they could hear the woman's periwinkle cloak move against the rotted tree bark as she pulled it on. Arthur continued to smile, watching the pink flow into Azura's cheeks, and unknowingly, he reached up and caressed her soft cheek tenderly. Then, he kissed the top of her head and turned sharply, walking toward the woman. They vanished into the caves.

Azura stood frozen with her cheeks burning crimson and her heart beating loudly in her chest; the rhythm seemed to echo through her mail and into the trees around her. The horse nuzzled her side, possibly checking for food, and whinnied; she came back from her fantasies with a short head-shake. Looking at the stallion, she patted his snout and guided him from the view of the cave's mouth and ivy teeth.

Azura tethered the stallion to a low tree limb and gazed around; the cave was out of sight, just over the tall brush that lay many paces before her. As a harsh, chill breeze swept through the forest, Azura shivered and took a seat in a pile of leaves, leaning back against a tree trunk. She stuck her remaining arrows into the earth next to her for easy reach and lay the bow across her legs with her hand resting on it readily. "I hope I'm wrong about her," she said wishfully.

-x-

"Arthur, no... it's a trap..." Merlin panted with sweat trickling down his cheeks and beading on his scalding brow. He had been saying random things such as this for a long while, moaning in his restless sleep. It had started with "look out" and muttering about blood and venom, but everything Merlin said was in reference to Arthur. Kadian was concerned with Merlin's ramblings and wondered worriedly why it was only Arthur Merlin was talking about; had something terrible befallen Azura?

"Gaius, you don't think something happened to Zu, do you?" Kadian asked worriedly, glancing up from watching Merlin's face as it winced in pain from the potent fire that boiled within him.

The physician shrugged, gazing up from his readings; his spectacles drooped to one-side, lopsided from the bend in its frame. "We cannot be certain of anything, Kadian. If Merlin is indeed watching the event unfold in the Forest of Balor, he may only see what is happening to Arthur and not to the Lady Azura." He rose to his feet, removing his spectacles, and crossed the chamber to stand beside Kadian. Gaius placed his palm against his nephew's forehead, sighing at the heat of Merlin's fever. It weakened him to know that there was nothing in his education or power that could cure this poison.

"Though, it concerns me too," Gaius continued, returning to his bench and picking up his glasses. He used the sleeve of his robe to clear the lenses and took a seat. "The punishment for Arthur if he returns without Azura will be a heavy one. Uther thinks of her as his own like he does Morgana."

Kadian scoffed, crossing her arms once she placed the damp towel onto Merlin's brow. Her cheeks were hot and she stared down at her hands that were folded in the ruffles of her gown.

"Yet, I am his own and he treats me differently with scorn and hatred," Kadian sneered at her curled fingers, taking a shrill, hopefully calming breath. She turned as far as she could and met the physician's analytical stare with her own, burning gaze. "I don't understand why. I have tried to be the _perfect_ daughter for years, always polite and I always do as he requests, but he..." She paused and took a deep, soothing breath to cool the fire that welled in her cheeks. "I want to know why, Gaius. Why he hates me so much."

Gaius set his glasses down on the open text before him and coiled his old fingers together, interlocking them against the edge of his workbench. He sighed heavily, collecting his thoughts and the proper words to say; they were difficult to find these words for Gaius had watched day in and day out how the King stared at his daughter, some days with full hatred in his eyes, other with a certain sympathy that faded to anger and, perhaps, resentment.

Kadian looked at him curiously and raised a thin eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Her voice was soft and intrigued, eager to listen. The physician took a deep breath that rumbled in his chest that a purr; he closed his eyes, sorting through his mad thoughts, and choose carefully what to say.

"I remember the night your mother passed away and you could not imagine how much your father wept, night after night and day after day. Queen Ygraine meant more to Uther than his own life; she was, I dare say, his better half." Gaius chuckled as his eyes swam with the ghost of the past, the days before the Great Purge. "Uther would hold you in his arms every chance he had because when you opened your eyes, he saw Ygraine's eyes. He thought the world of you, Kadian, and Arthur was his son; nothing can replace the bond between a father and his first-born son." He took a long breath, leaning forward on his elbows as Kadian pulled her stool closer, drowning out Merlin's muffled cries.

"But, the bond Uther had with you slowly diminished over time as you grew. Your hair 'glowed brighter than the pale rays of the sun' he used to say, and he said the same about Ygraine. Every time he looks at you, he sees her, Kadian, and it hurts him so much like an old wound that is continuously reopened from the same sword."

"It would take a great amount of magic to change my face, Gaius. It takes the power that I do not wield and one I would never use," Kadian stated and sat straight on the stool; she studied the physician's face, seeing the truth that was written in his weary eyes. Unable to face him any longer, Kadian set her gaze onto Merlin, who was rambling again, nearly screaming that Arthur was in some sort of trap. "Only Merlin understands how I feel," she said softly, reaching for the towel.

"My child, love can make people blind. I trust you know that," said the physician as he placed his glasses on his nose and rose to his feet. Casually walking over, he took the towel from her hand. "Can you fetch me some fresh wolfsbane? It will help control his fever." He wished to dismiss the subject before he spoke forbidden words.

Kadian nodded and rose to her feet, letting the physician take her position. "Of course, anything for you." Smiling weakly, she left the chamber with a soft glance to Merlin, praying that when she returned, he would still be breathing and with a live pulse, no matter how faint.

-x-

Amber torchlight stretched across the shadowed walls of the hollow caves as Arthur and the woman from the forest proceeding into the dark abyss. Walking through these ominous caves brought back memories of hunting for the afanc that made Arthur shiver and glance to and fro to make sure nothing lurked nearby. The woman found his subtle paranoia amusing and grinned. Through the cover of the velvety hood of her cloak, she said softly, "She's a catch, is she not?"

"Who?" Arthur jumped at the sudden sound of her soft voice, his hand whipping to the remaining sword on his belt.

"That archer... _Zu_ is it? She's really beautiful," the woman smiled as they continued onward through the labyrinth of the cave. She kept her gaze fixed on the darkness ahead that was untouched by the flickering, amber firelight.

"Yeah..." Arthur said softly, lowering his hand from the sword's pommel. It was hard to endure being separated from her, knowing that she was alone in the forest with countless creatures that could kill her. "She is," Arthur finished, shaking his head to return to the depressing reality of the darkness that crawled before him, slowly being engulfed by the amber light.

The woman giggled quietly with her crimson lips forming an intrigued smile. "Do not try to deny it. The two of you..." Her voice slowed, pronouncing each syllable precisely as she said, "you seem meant for each other." She looked ahead, averting his puzzled and flustered glance, and grinned widely, two rows of white teeth flashing between her crimson red lips.

"The flowers, they should be just up ahead." They reached the end of the path they were on. A narrow cavern poured out before them with silver moonlight dripping in through the crack above them. Arthur stepped onto a jutting ledge that stretched across the gorge.

Sitting high upon a ledge across the way was a bundle of flowers that held sleek, sun-yellow petals and lush, emerald leaves. A wide root of a tree above coiled around the rocks, branching into small veins across the walls. Arthur observed the depth of the black gorge beneath their seemingly sturdy ledge and looked back at the woman, warning her to stray from the edges. He moved further onto the lunching ledge with cautious footing.

Behind him, Arthur heard the woman speak strange words that were definitely not English, but sounded roughly similar as if the syllables were misplace. Her voice echoed through the cavern like an orchestra of faint whispers full of vile and evil. The rock of the ledge on which he stood began to crumble, vanishing with nothing but the echo of the stone crashing in the darkness below.

His head whipped toward her as her voice grew louder and the rock crumbled faster. Arthur stared wide-eyed at her, knowing that the forbidden sounds she spoke were magic. "What are you doing?" he shouted, waving his arms to keep his footing.

The ledge continued to crumble until there was nothing left. Arthur released the torch in his grasp and leapt across the gorge. With his arms outstretched, he grabbed hold of a narrow ledge across the way. His fingers stressed as his hands fought to keep him from plummeting to his death and his arms trembled as they struggled to haul him up; but the weight of his mail and armour were too great to heave.

"I expected so much more," the woman sneered watching in pleasure as he struggled. Her true name, unknown to Arthur, was Nimueh.

"Who are you?" Arthur shouted angrily, breathing harshly as he fought to hold his weight. He glanced up; the flowers were close, but still out of his reach.

Nimueh drew back the hood of her cloak, letting it rest neatly on her narrow shoulders. Her eyes beamed down on him, listening to him grunt as he attempted to lift himself, but he was thwarted in his attempt.

"The last face you and your precious _Zu_ shall ever see!" She smirked, her mystical, blue eyes full of evil. The anticipation of watching the great Arthur Pendragon fall to his death sent her heart racing. A sharp hiss sounded from above Arthur and Nimueh gazed up as a spider, about a foot and a half in length, stalked from its den concealed by heavy shadows.

"Looks like we have a visitor," Nimueh grinned, returning her eyes onto the struggling prince.

One hand at a time, Arthur moved across the ledge, putting as much distance between him and the spider as possible. The spider leapt from its high perch and landed on the ledge on which Arthur's quaking hands held him. Letting one hand slip from the rock, Arthur grasp the sword from his belt, the steel ringing as it slid out of its sheath.

Eight eyes stared down at him, each blinking in turn as the spider stalked forward, one hairy leg at a time. It raised its front most legs and bared its thick, potent teeth. Another hiss escaped the eight-legged creature and it leapt into the air only to meet the strong swing of Arthur's sword. The spider cascaded into the dark void below in two halves.

Arthur tossed his sword onto the ledge and quickly shot his hand back to the ledge. His heart was pounding uncontrollably, he could feel each beat in his numbing fingertips. He spared a glare in the enchantress's direction, feeling her glowering eyes upon him.

"Very good, but he won't be the last," Nimueh grinned; she did not seem to be faltered by his success in dispatching the hairy fiend. "I'll let his friends finish you off, Arthur Pendragon. It is not your destiny to die at my hands," Nimueh stated and stepped away from the ledge, keeping her eyes transfixed on the prince.

"I wonder if _she _will be this difficult to kill," mused the enchantress. Arthur's face burned hotter than it was in rage and he spared another ounce of energy to glare at Nimueh for he was unable to do anything from this predicament. Nimueh shrugged, paying no mind to his sinister glare. "After all, I cannot let her run back to tell on me for my wrongs."

With those last words ringing in his ears, the ancient sorceress turned and stalked from the cavern . Arthur screamed after her, cursing under his breath as his entire body trembled, wanting to release his grasp on the ledge. He shouted for her to not lay a hand on Azura, but the sorceress paid no mind to his pleas and the amber light vanished, leaving the prince in nothing but the faint rays of the moonlight.

-x-

"Arthur... it's too dark... it's too dark," Merlin panted. His chest was rising and falling gradually slower as each second passed; his fight against the poison was turning, but with every word he moaned, there was some hope.

Kadian was pacing back and forth in the chamber before the fire that cackled in the glowing hearth. Her arms were crossed at her chest and her jaws was clenched as she thought of a way to aid Arthur and Azura from the physician's chamber in Camelot.

Merlin caught her attention as he started to mumble another spell with his weak, cracking voice. The spell he incanted was on that Kadian recognized; it was from the text that Azura's mother had written. She pulled back the blankets on top of him and in the cup of his right hand spiralled an orb of white light. The orb was incomparably beautiful with each strand of bright light bending around each other in a never-ending motion.

"Of course..." Kadian mused, setting her eyes on Merlin's face; she admired the way that even on his deathbed, he was still fulfilling his destiny. "Gaius, he said 'it's too dark'. He is giving Arthur light to see!" She was shockingly ecstatic with the revelation of the orb and smiled giddily, nearly jumping up and down in excitement.

"Nimueh must have left him in the caves." Gaius gaped at the sight of the shimmering orb, admiring Merlin's handiwork for even in his youth, he could have never attempted such a masterpiece. "Theoretically, if Azura is not in the caves with Arthur, where is she?"

Kadian's happiness vanished as quickly as it had came. She met the physician's concerned stare as she pondered for a solution. "Outside," she stated suddenly. "I know Arthur. If she was hurt, possibly by that wretched beast in that book, he would have had her wait with the horse and flea if she had to." She paused as a single, dark thought crossed her mind and undoubtedly the physician's as well.

"Nimueh may be after her now... Gaius, she won't stand a chance against her!" Kadian began to panic, gripping her skirt and pacing back and forth irritably again.

"She's a strong girl," Gaius stated; he was obviously hiding something because his voice was lacking his calm tone.

-x-

Warm firelight pooled in the cave's mouth, staining its ivy teeth amber like they were set ablaze. Azura jumped to her feet excitedly; she wanted nothing more than to escape the darkening forest. The stars were not visible through the roves of the trees and it made Azura nervous not to be able to see the freedom of the sky. However, her hopes shattered as the woman walked out of the cave without Arthur.

Azura ducked down swiftly, gripping her bow tightly as she reached for an arrow that stood erect in the earth beside her boots. The woman's blue eyes, shining mysteriously in the moonlight, scanned the maze of trees.

"I know that you are out here, Azura Lightwing. You cannot hide from me!"the woman shouted, waving the torch before her blue eyes to better her vision.

Azura stayed low to the ground and silently notched the arrow, feeling the fletching brush against her palm. She only had two arrows left and she needed to use them sparingly; it would only take one, well-aimed shot to kill the woman if she dared to attack. Azura had been right to be suspicious of the woman, her senses were never wrong, except on occasion. She longed to know what fate that had befallen Arthur, but she did not want to ask about his peril; her heart lurked just thinking about him being dead, leaving her alone in the forest. Without knowing what he true feelings for the prince were, whether they were genuine or just simple infatuation, Azura felt wounded as she drew back the bowstring and released the arrow.

The woman turned sharply and raised her hand, deflecting the arrow with a silent incantation. "Come out here, _Zu._ I just want to talk," Nimueh called into the darkness from which the arrow came.

Hesitantly, Azura stood, revealing herself as the orange light kissed her figure and glinted off her armour. She walked forward, taking the remaining arrow with her, and watched Nimueh suspiciously with her senses sharp. With only one arrow, Azura needed to use it at the perfect moment, otherwise she would be killed.

"Where's Arthur?" Azura demanded as she stepped into the clearing, hiding the remaining arrow behind her back, though it was obvious that she held it. She glanced at the mouth of the cave where one hanging stone looked like its uvula.

Nimueh cackled darkly and tossed the blazing torch into the nearby brush, setting the grey leaves ablaze. The brilliant flames consumed the brush quickly and licked up the nearest tree as it spread rapidly.

"The prince is dead," the sorceress grinned proudly. Their gazes locked and a certain tension blossomed between them. The woman continued speaking gently as she eyes the gleaming point of the arrow Azura attempted to hide. "I do not wish to kill you, Azura. But I will if I must."

"Oh, that make me feel loads better," Azura spat and flinched at the spread tongues of fire. The flames released a hazy smoke into the air, clouding the darkness and obstructing Azura's vision; but Azura knew that if she shot the arrow, she would not miss.

"I am giving you the chance to join me. There is magic within you, magic much stronger than you believe. It is but raw, unused power now, but if you exercised your innate power, you would be unstoppable," Nimueh grinned speak slowly with each syllable rolling uncannily off her vile tongue. She stepped toward Azura who stepped back instinctively.

"No thank you," Azura snarled. The firelight danced in Nimueh's eyes, changing the alluring shade to a dark, mysterious violet.

Nimueh sighed and took a single step toward Azura. "There is no use hiding who and what your are, Azura Lightwing. The truth will be revealed in time and when it does, what is left of your fragile sanity will shatter. How much more can you take? First your kingdom, then your family, and now your lover. Your breed is strong, but you... you are something of neither world. I am giving you the chance to join me and rise to your full potential. Together, we can rule the entire world."

Shaking her head furiously, Azura stepped back, notching the last arrow. "I would rather die than betray everyone I know and care for!" She spat, drawing the bowstring back. "I will kill you if I must; it wouldn't be difficult."

"If death is your wish, then so it shall be." Azura released the arrow and it shot through the air with impeccable speed, a single, shadowed flash across the moonlight. Nimueh raised her left and muttered an enchantment, deflecting the arrow with ease.

Royal blue bolts of lightning emerged from Nimueh's long, slender fingers and incinerated the arrow as it froze, only inches from Nimueh's eyes. The lightning continued forward, sparking against the chill air, and pinned Azura's square in the chest, sending her into the air.

She collapsed onto the ground heavily, heading bouncing back against the solid earth, and the wind was knocked out of her as her lungs felt like they were crushed by the strength of the enchantment.. She wheezed for breath, but the fire had stolen most of the oxygen for itself. Gradually, Azura rose to her shaky feet with one hand against her chest and the other firmly grasping the hickory-wood bow. Nimueh stared dumbfounded at Azura, cocking her head to one side as she grinned.

"You are such a clever girl," Nimueh complimented; she watched the manner in which Azura's armour glistened in the firelight. She could sense the magic that was inlaid with each of the metal-circles and the magic was powerful, even beyond her own strength. "Mithrill, if I'm correct."

Enchanting the howling flames spreading around them, entrapping them in a wide circle, Nimueh sent the a raging inferno toward Azura. The fire whipped to the sides wildly, cracking like whips, and sneered as Azura jumped out of the way. However, she jumped a second too late and the scalding flames clipping her upper arm.

Azura wailed as the fire burned through her mail and touched her flesh roughly. She lifted her head to spot Nimueh, but the sorceress had vanished, leaving no trace or any last words. It grew harder to breath as the smoke filled her lungs and Azura's vision blur as she swayed from side to side. Sweat slid down her brow as her mail grew hot with the flames spreading around her.

The horse screamed as its black eyes saw the fire approaching him. He could not pull free from the tree limb he was tethered to and kicked his legs violently in the hot air. Azura spun in circles, seeing nothing but raging orange flames licking the air. There was no way to break free from the circle of fire, not even a thinning to force herself to endure the burns.

The mithrill grew hotter as the second burned one at a time and it was scalding against her fragile skin; her arm was siring with pain. The armour's soul purpose was to protect against magic and only things created by enchantments. It was useless against the fire for it was created by flints.

Azura squinted through the heavy grey smoke but she might as well have been blind. The embers had snaked across the ground, leaping from tree to tree with little care for the life it was destroying. Her breath grew deeper and deeper, slowly weakening her to the brink. Magic was useless now, she did not know any spells to save herself, and her energy was lacking to cast any enchantment without killing herself; it was the curse of being who she was.

She dropped to her knees and collapsed onto her stomach, face to the shockingly cool soil beneath her. The bow was still grasped in her fingers, but there was no use for it; soon, the flames would consume them.

-x-

"_Arthur..._" Merlin groaned "_Smoke..._"

"Smoke? Merlin, why is there smoke!" Kadian asked panicking as she shook him to wake up, but he stayed in his unconscious state. Her heart was beating madly; she knew that his answer would be that there was a fire.

She raced into Merlin's bedroom and lifted up the floorboard under which they hid their magic books. Retrieving the volume written by Azra, Kadian raced back into the main chamber, tossing the book onto the physician's workbench. Gaius lifted a white eyebrow as she flipped page after page rapidly. Each page cascaded softly onto its predecessor as Kadian's eyes quickly scanned each page for a single spell that could help her brother and Azura; she assumed them to be trapped inside the heart of the fire.

"Kadian, what are you doing?" Gaius questioned as he read over her shoulder when she pressed her hand firmly against the top of a page, tracing the inscriptions.

"We need it to rain over the forest to stop the flames from getting to thick and killing them. Gaius, I must or they will die along with Merlin." She read the incantation several time in her mind to get the correct pronunciation; it was a complicated spell, one she had never dared to try for it was powerful.

"_Gvriste ta sunephia epano apo to mauro Balor kai phirte tey broxey gia na suntripsete ten purkagia._" (See below) Her eyes glowed magnificently silver as her soft lips trembled over the forbidden sound of magic. As she spoke the words of an ancient language, the candles around the chamber were blown out as the window was thrown open by an invisible wind.

-x-

"_Azura!_" Arthur shouted through the thick smoke. He coughed as his lungs quickly became heavy with smoke. There was no reply over the crackling flames and screams of a nearby horse. He had managed to scaled the wall and retrieved the mortaeus flower thanks to an orb of light that appear from nowhere and guided him to the top. Upon reached the crevasse in the earth, he was choked by the thick smoke.

"_Azura!_" He shouted, tucking the flower into his belt as he ran forward. He received no reply.

His heart lurked with the thought of finding Azura lying dead on the floor of the burning forest; how could he endure life knowing that he had failed to protect her? How would he explain it to his father if he escaped from the forest? No, he had to shake the menacing thoughts away; she was alive, he had a feeling that he could not explain.

Arthur raced in the direction of the horse's screams and cursed when Azura was not beside the stallion who pulled and kicked violently to escape the flames. How could he be so naive as to trust a random stranger found in the forest just because of her pretty face? It had been the enchantress who started to fire, he knew it.

He untied the horse from the tree as the leaves caught fire. It took all Arthur's strength to keep the horse from running away from the gigantic orange and red flames that was spread out before them like a burning and glowing sea; this is what he imagined the pit of Hell to look like.

"_AZURA!"_ Arthur shouted panicking as he gazed into the heart of the fire. He could just make out the silhouette of the cave to his left, but little of his other surroundings. Drowning out the pleading screams of the horse to escape, Arthur listened to the snapping flames waiting to hear the one sound he longed to hear.

Then, he heard the noise he was listening for and relief consumed him, nearly sending him to the ground. Arthur tugged on the reins as the horse stared at the prince with his dark eyes wide with an are-you-serious expression. The horse snorted, flaring out its nostrils, as Arthur said, "We have to."

Mounting with a swift motion, Arthur spurred the horse into a gallop and flicked the reins. With a running start the horse pushed off the earth and leapt into the air and over the whipping flames. Landing in the shrinking clearing, the stallion rose onto his haunches and lashed the air with his forelegs. His underbelly had touched the burning flames and he whimpered in pain.

"Azura?" Arthur shouted and glanced frantically around him, looking for that one silhouette. The smoke was glowing with the stalking flames and Arthur coughed, placing a gloved hand over his nose and mouth. His mail was burning through the padding and his skin ached as the heat set in, gradually burning him like agonizing torture.

"_Ar-thur_..." A wounded voice coughed weakly through the smoke.

The horse trotted forward, wary of the crawling flames, and stopped suddenly as Arthur pulled the reins back harshly. There was a small, slender shadow on the ground that was quivering in the pain. He could hear the figure struggling and crying faintly with what little energy it held.

"Zu?" Arthur questioned pleadingly. Then, he saw her head turn slightly and set a pain-filled gaze on his face that lanced his heart like a sword; it was a sight that could kill him faster than the fire ever could. He reached down and lifted her onto the saddle in front of him, letting her head rest lazily against his shoulder.

Wrapping a strong arm around her, Arthur spurred the stallion once more and he dashed forward, leaping over the hot flames. The bay horse whimpered as the fire licked underbelly and singed his mane and tail.

Faster and faster the horse went, leaping over fallen logs and racing against the fire as it chased them the winding trees of the forest. Soon, the stallion outran the fire and escaped the thick smoke.

Azura fell from Arthur's grasp, off the saddle, purposely as the horse trotted by a small creek that curved like a slithering snake. "It _burns_..." she moaned as she tossed the quiver (in which she placed the bow) to her feet. Pulling off the tunic of mithrill, revealing a white tunic to be underneath, she plummeted knees first into the shallow water and sighed in deeply. She scooped the water into the cup of her burning hands and splashed the coldness onto her face, the tiny droplets dribbled down her crimson face.

"Azura, tell me what happened," Arthur said calmly as he dismounted and tethered the horse to a tree limb near the shallows of the creek, letting the bay beast drink and nibble at the patches of grass. The burns on the horse's underbelly were not fatal but noticeably uncomfortable with several spots of burned skin contrasting the brown fur; Arthur stroked the horse's sweating flank gently, praising him on a job well done, and stepped into the creek, kneeling beside Azura with little care about getting wet for the water felt relaxing and soothing.

He gazed at the soot smeared across Azura's moonlit face, heavy with weary shadows over her eyes, and as his eyes trailed down her figure, glossed with the creek's water, he saw the bubbling burn on her upper arm. Removing his glove, Arthur reached over with a gently hand and traced the outer rim of the burn with his fingertips, feeling the heat on her skin. So suddenly that he fell over, she spun around and embraced him around the neck.

"Oh, _Arthur_!" Azura exclaimed, staring down at him with eyes wide of both shock and joy. Her hair had fallen from its tie and dangled in wild, sweaty bunches over her face. "I thought you were dead!"

"You can't get rid of me _that_ easily," Arthur laughed with a wide smile and sat up slowly, returning her embrace. He grasped her burnt arm, examining it closer even though she winced and inadvertently attempted to pull away. "How did the fire start?" Arthur spoke gently, brushing his fingertips over the wound.

"She was a sorceress," Azura replied hastily and caught Arthur's hand, moving it away from the burn; it hurt enough without him prodding it. She met his concerned stare, reading his thoughts as they were written in his silver-sapphire eyes; he was regretting allowing her to come with him.

"The flames, they spread so fast. She _tried_ to kill me and then I was trapped." Azura moved off of him and sat back on her heels as he turned to her, caressing her hot cheek with his hand. "She told me you were dead, Arthur. And I was foolish enough to believe her."

Arthur could hear her voice waning, trembling over her moon-kissed lips as she spoke. He went to calm her, tell that she was not a fool, but he was silenced. The thick, grey smoke they thought to have outrun swerved swiftly through the wide trees and tainted the cold air they breathed with a heated haze. Through the dark shadows between the trees, they could make out a faint glow of amber; the fire was spreading and was nearly upon them again.

Arthur scrambled to his feet, pulled Azura's to hers, and raced to collect the horse from the creek's edge. Azura retrieved her mithrill, pulled it on, and slung the deerskin quiver over her shoulder, securing it tightly to her body.

Mounting the stallion and directing it toward Azura, who now stared at the slow crawl of the crooked flames through the trees, Arthur held out an arm for her to take. "Come on!" Arthur shouted demandingly; he could hear the fire cackling from the shadows, snapping fiercely like whips.

Azura stared up at him dumbfounded like she had not heard or misunderstood him. She could only see his silhouette and his wind-blown mane silver in the sight of the moon. Hesitantly, Azura took his arm and was lifted onto the rear of the saddle. With one arm wrapped around his, Azura glanced back at their stalker and Arthur spurred the impatiently stallion into a gallop.

The race began for a second time.

-x-

"_Empotheste ton tropo toush me ten purkagia_," Nimueh enchanted. She stood inside a cave illuminated with the moonlight, safe from the blaze she caused. Her eyes were beaming as they stared at a faded image on the surface of the calm water that rested inside a silver bowl upon a high, stone pedestal.

She grinned as the horse rose onto its haunches and lashed the air with its forelegs; a wall of glowering fire rose before Arthur and Azura, blocking their only escape. The pleasure Nimueh found in their petrified faces was uncanny and her smile grew wider, waiting to witness their slow, agonizing death.

-x-

Azura glanced around frantically, looking for a thinning or gap to make their escape; but the crooked, lashing flames were too thick and encircled them, engulfing the towering trees and cloaking the sky with a heavy haze. "This is it: we're done for," she said weakly and coughed to clear her lungs; her chest felt heavy and slowly rose and fell with each painful breath.

"Don't say that," Arthur snapped, tugging on the reins to keep the stallion still. The fire's breath cascaded hotly on his face and seeped through his mail and layers of padding beneath; it felt like his entire body was on fire, slowly burning his flesh until the flames stole his last bit of oxygen and he died of asphyxiation.

"I am just saying the truth!" Azura scowled, hitting him hard on the back. He coughed at the force behind her assault and glanced over his shoulder, taking in the shockingly ugly sight of her face smeared with soot that mingled with the hot, red gaze of the fire.

"None of this would've happened if you stayed back in Camelot. But again, you would not listen to me."

"You would have died if I hadn't come!" Azura protested, slamming a fist on his back. She choked on her breath and coughed violently, reaching for what little breathable air their was left. "What good would your death have done?"

"At least you would be alive." He met her panicking eyes, hoping to soothe them with one look, but his heart lurked uneasily as she dropped his gaze.

"I wouldn't want to be," Azura breathed staring down at the cowering leaves that sought shelter in the horse's shadow. Then, she gazed up. She could hear a voice speaking with the howling wind, soft and mysterious with the forbidden sounds of magic. Thunder roared above as they sky, cloaked by the smoke, became clouded.

"Are those..." Azura paused as she squinted to see through the smoke. "Rain clouds?" At the boom of thunder, she flinched, embracing Arthur as tight as she could. With the wind screeching like a banshee, tiny, invisible droplets of water poured from the towering clouds. Steam ascended into the air, mingling with the fire's breath until the crooked flames were dismembered.

"_Go!_" The rain fell harder and harder, piercing the glowing fire until they were tiny flares licking the leaves on the forest floor.

As the horse galloped forward, stomping out the remaining embers in his path, the rain ceased suddenly, letting the scorched foliage of the trees to continue its work. A droplet leapt from a leaf and cascaded upon Azura's cheek, slowly sliding down the soot, leaving behind a clean trail.

-x-

Sunlight peered over the horizon as their horse travelled wearily out of the Mountains of Isguard, the dawn was magnificently beautiful with golden rays catching the dew on the luscious scenery. As they reached the top of a tall ravine, Camelot stood in the far distance.

Arthur guided the bay stallion toward the city gates, glancing back to see if Azura was awake; she was. Several guards were posted at the gates and jolted to life, shouting for Arthur to halt.

Azura whispered something in Arthur's ear, something that he was unable to hear well, and she slide off the saddle before the guards and vanished before the guards reached them.

"Let me pass!" Arthur demanded, kicking a guard away as they swarmed him like a regiment of hornets.

-x-

Kadian entered the court physician's chamber with a look of puzzled sadness in her eyes. She had witnessed her brother struggling in the grasp of several guards, demanding to be set free; but the King's word triumphed over the prince's. Arthur tried to pull away long enough to reach Kadian, but the force of the guards was unbreakable and he was pulled into the dungeons. Kadian panicked when Azura was not captured alongside the prince; had the rain reached the forest too late? Sighing, she replaced Gaius and placed the damp towel onto Merlin's blazing forehead; the feeling of his fever made her sigh again.

The physician swept his eyes over his nephew, unhappy that there was nothing he could do to end his suffering. For a moment earlier that day, Gaius had lost Merlin's pulse and frightened Kadian, nearly bringing her tears before he found it again. There was little time left to administer the antidote; and with Arthur being locked in the dungeons, there seemed to be little hope.

Kadian gasped and turned as the door swung open and slammed hard against the wall, shaking the shelves to wear some phials fell and shattered. In an off-white blur, Azura raced in and slammed the door shut, tossing her quiver onto the nearest table. Her face was coated with dark-grey smudges, hiding the beauty that could brighten anyone's gloomy day. The armour she wore was splotched with dirt and soot, but all in all, still a pearly ivory. That was when Kadian noticed the gaping hole in Azura's armour.

"How did you... how did you get here unseen? The King has doubled the guard." Gaius asked startled, dropping his spectacles onto the floor. Azura sunk to her knees and leaned back against the door, breathing heavily with a rapid rise and fall of her chest.

"Right now..." Azura panted as she slowly stumbled to her wobbly feet; she looked half-dazed with the evident exhaustion in her eyes. "I don't think that's important. How's Merlin?"

"He's hasn't much longer. His pulse it weak and is barely readable," Kadian replied softly, running over to her friend and embracing her tightly, glad that she returned to Camelot in once piece. As Azura whimpered in pain, Kadian stepped back and met her gaze hopefully. "Were you able to get the flower?"

Azura nodded hesitantly. "Arthur has it," she said and sunk her shoulders as Kadian dropped her gaze. "I-I didn't know where he put it... we were separated for a while. I didn't have time to take it before the guards captured him."

Kadian took in a harsh breath and set her eyes on Merlin who lay as still as a corpse; there was only a faint rise and fall of his chest. "Nimueh... she gaze you two problems, didn't she?" she wondered and crossed the chamber, taking up Merlin's limp hand and drawing back his sweaty tunic, revealing the putrid, bumpy rash.

"Nimueh? The witch in the forest has a name? She tried to kill the both of us. Myself in the fire and Arthur in the caves," Azura explained as she removed the mail tunic and placed it gently on the near tabletop. Her white tunic was now grey with hints of her blood on its sleeve. "Kadian, you need to go down to the dungeons and get that flower..."

"No one can get into the dungeons. Uther has forbidden it," a gently voice said from the doorway. "I've tried." It was Morgana. Her long, raven hair was down and she wore a trailing, violet gown. In her arms was a bundle of clothing. "Azura you're burned!" the ward gasped, nearly dropping the bundle.

"It's nothing," Azura replied, shaking her head to dismiss the subject. Gaius went over and examined the burn, pressing down on it, but Azura did not flinch. "We have to get the flower. Without it, Merlin will die before the day's over."

Morgana nodded, accepting the change of subject, and extended the bundle toward Azura. "I've brought you these. I knew when you weren't found with Arthur that you were here." Azura took the clothings and Morgana turned her attention onto the armour; she seemed bewitched as she traced the tiny, intertwined circles with steady fingers. "What pretty armour."

Gaius glanced at the armour and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. He gazed at Azura suspiciously, studying her reserved face. "Where did you get that?" Concern lingered in his voice as he spoke and Azura hesitantly met his quizzical stare.

"It... it was a gift from my mother some years ago," Azura answered, dropping her gaze onto the gown in her arms; she smiled at its softness against her forearms. "You have really good taste, Morgana."

"There wasn't much to choose from," Morgana admitted.

"Alright." Azura draped the gown over her shoulder and crossed the chamber. "Let me wash. Then, I'll get the flower from Arthur. I have a plan."

-x-

Walking down the corridor with her head to the floor, Azura said the plan in her thoughts over and over again, contemplating what she should say when the guards stopped her. It was embarrassing enough to think about doing this, but actually having to act like it was true was just nerve racking. Her hands were resting gently against her stomach, softly rubbing it up and down, as she gracefully descended down the staircase into the dungeon.

The guards were on her in an instant. "No one is allowed passed here, my lady," the tallest one said.

Azura looked up with a look of disbelief and her eyes wide with shock. "Please. It'll take only a minute..." she stammered.

"The King has forbidden anyone to visit Prince Arthur," the guard replied, resting a guiding hand on her shoulder, pushing her slightly toward the stairs. "You must leave, my lady. What ever it is, it can wait until he is released."

"It cannot wait! It's _really_ important!" Arthur pleaded harshly, nearly snapping at the guards. She gazed down at her belly on which her hands rested and then looked up at the guard. "Please..." She whispered, drawing him closer. "The King doesn't have to know. I won't tell if you don't." She grinned mischievously.

"My lady, I am sorry, but I cannot allow..." he pressed, pushing her toward the stairs.

Azura's head shook as she sighed deeply. "You wouldn't understand. I spent days with the physician to be sure... News like this cannot wait to be shared..." she said and set a disappointed gaze on his stern face, which seemed to lighten at the desperation in her aqua eyes.

The guards exchanged glances, obviously speaking through thoughts for the shorter of the two nodded. Then, the taller guard said, "Alright, follow me, my lady."

-x-

Arthur sat in his cell with his head against the stone wall as he waiting in agonizing silence. He had taken to counting the cracks in the stones to ease his boredom. From where he slouched, he could hear the faint footsteps and did not bother to stand; he did not care for whomever came to scream at him next. However, he jumped to his feet, grabbing the flower, as he heard someone tell another to watch his/her step.

"_Arthur!_" Azura cried as she raced to the narrow bars that entrapped the prince. Her fingers coiled around the bars as best they could. "Thank god you returned in one piece!"

"Zu..." He sighed relieved. Reaching up with his empty hand, he reached through the bars to caress her cheek. The other handed her the flower through the bars; she tucked it into the thin, silver belt around her waist.

"Tell him what you need and be on your way," the guard grumbled with arms crossed at his chest.

"Could you, perhaps, let me in there? Just for a moment, I swear," Azura said gently, turning away from Arthur hesitantly who's hand dropped from her cheek. "He _is_ the prince."

_What the bloody hell is she doing?_ Arthur thought was obvious in his puzzled eyes; he had given her the flower, what more was there? The guard groaned and took the key from his belt and unlocked the door, letting Azura inside where she embraced Arthur around the neck. His arms folded around her, holding her close, as he whispered in her ear, "What are you doing?"

"Well, the guard thinks I'm pregnant with your child," she whispered even softer. The guard did not hear anything, to their luck. "Though, honestly, I just want you to kiss me."

Arthur froze, all function of his limbs vanished; only his heart moved, thumping loudly in his chest. He thought that he had misheard her and, once he recovered from paralysis, he pushed her back gently, staring down at her with a quizzical expression. "_What?_" He spoke with an awkward smile; however, his statement translated to: _you want me to do what?_

Her eyes were dazzling wondrously in the little light that peered into the cell in flat, yellow rays. Arthur studied her expression and found himself unable to fight the urge any longer. He pulled her back to him, pressing his lips to his as he had wanted to do for many days. She had an alluring taste, one that sent his heart soaring.

His hands cupped her cheeks, securing her face to his, as he traced her lips with his tongue. The initial shock that sent her heart beating drifting away and her soft arms locked around his neck. It dawned on her how much she craved him. Their lips melded together like they were one of the same masterpiece and deepened as their tongues mingled. Perhaps the kiss was too convincing.

The guard was taken back by how intense the kiss became in mere seconds; Azura's story must have been true. He stepped into the cell, took Azura by the shoulder, and pulled her away, putting a hand on Arthur's chest as he attempted to draw her back in.

The door slammed shut and the cell was locked. Azura's fingers were wrapped around the bars and Arthur reached up and touched here white knuckles. She was right there, on the other side of the door, but to him, it felt like she was across Albion. He wanted more of her, more of that sweet taste in his mouth; he knew now what his true punishment was.

-x-

Kadian and Gaius jumped as the door swung open and shut in the same motion. Azura leaned back against the door with her head back, releasing a pleasure filled moan from her throat. "Did you get it?" Kadian asked breathlessly as she rushed over.

"Get what?" Azura replied dumbfounded since she held the flower tightly in her hand. Finally returning from the clouds, she looked down and saw the yellow petals peeking through the gaps between her fingers. "Oh, sorry. Here."

Taking the flower, Kadian ran over to Gaius, who had begun to prepare the antidote while Azura went to the dungeons. He removed a petal from the emerald stem and dropped it into the liquid, grounding the petal into the liquid. Once he was satisfied with the substance, he handed the bowl to Kadian.

It took Kadian a moment to remember the spell to say, and when she did she spoke it twice, failing at first. The green liquid began to simmer like a fire burned beneath it, and after a moment, it settled into a dark turquoise. The physician went to the motionless Merlin and plugged his nose as Kadian poured the antidote into his mouth.

"Swallow, Merlin, swallow it," Gaius instructed and sighed when his instructions were obliged.

Kadian stood beside Gaius, praying that they had administered the antidote in time; Azura leaned against the door, lost in her fantasies again. They could their breaths as the chamber grew silent; Merlin's chest ceased to rise and fall. His head rolled to the side, his cheek against the pillow damp with his sweat, and his eyelids were relaxed over his eyes; the artery on his neck did not move.

"He stopped breathing," Kadian gasped, cupping her hands on her face with tears welling in her eyes. "What's happening? Gaius?" Her blue eyes stared at the physician, hoping for an answer, but Gaius was speechless.

Gaius pressed his ear to Merlin's stationary chest, listening for a heartbeat, but he stood straight and met Kadian's worried, sad expression.. "His heart has stopped."

She stared at Merlin with her glossy eyes waning until tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head in disbelief, but all the evidence was before her. His body was limp with no colour in his face that was usually red from his embarrassing ramblings. And without the sunlight hitting his face, his lips looked to be cold and blue.

"He's dead?" she stammered, choking on her breath as she fought off her sobs. Her heart lurked with sorrow, beating irregularly as if part of it was malfunctioning. Crimson burned her face, boiling her tears as they fell.

"He can't be..." Gaius breathed, reaching to take Merlin's pulse even though he knew there was none.

Azura slowly walked over to Kadian and pressed a soothing hand on her shoulder. Seeing her cry made Azura's lips quiver. "We were too late," she said weakly with her voice waning with sympathy; her gaze dropped to her feet, she had failed.

"This shouldn't have happened!" Kadian hissed, throwing Azura's hand off her shoulder. Her anger frightened Azura slightly and she backed away, letting Gaius embraced Kadian. The princess wept against his flat chest, drenching his robe with her tears.

Gaius looked at Azura and motioned his head toward the door. She took the hint and hesitantly strolled toward the door, holding it open as she gazed back over at Kadian. The pain of loosing someone close was something Azura knew well, like it was written on the back of her hand; it would take a long time, if at all, to get over.

"I should have looked after him better. It is my fault," Gaius admitted forcing himself not to tear; it was hard for him to do so, he thought of Merlin like a son. Kadian's weeping grew hysterical as she attempted to make a reply but Gaius could not understand.

"That's disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Gaius and Kadian pulled away from each other at the sarcastic voice. "You're old enough to be her grandfather!" Puzzled, they turned to the limp body that lay on the cot; only, it was no longer limp or frozen.

Merlin sat up slowly and gazed at them like he had not seen them in many years. His dark hair was plastered to his brow y his sticky sweat. His cheek were slightly pink and his face held more colour than it had. And his dark eyes were lively as ever, beaming.

"Merlin! You're alive!" Gaius exclaimed with a wide smile stretching his wrinkly face; the door shut in the background, Azura had left.

Kadian lowered her hands from her face, taking in the sight many times before she believed it to be true. He was actually alive and breathing, no longer struggling for breath with his brow burning.

"No, I'm a ghost come back to haunt you..." Merlin laughed and winced as Kadian crushed her lips to his. I had happened so fast that Merlin had no other option but to return the kiss and sit up further, pulling her closer.

Gaius coughed and Kadian forced herself to pull from his grasp, leaving him as breathless as he had been. "I thought you were dead!" she exclaimed and embraced him around the neck, nearly suffocating him quicker than the poison. "I'm so sorry that I..."

"Kadian, it's alright. I understand..." Merlin paused and feigned wheezing. "Don't choke me to death." Kadian released her captive, meeting his curious gaze after he glanced around the chamber. He asked softly, "What happened? The last thing I remember is drinking the wine."

"It was Nimueh; she laced the goblet and framed Bayard for attempted murder of Arthur. What I don't understand is why..." Kadian answered quickly, like their kiss had transferred his babbling to her. She turned to Gaius, hoping that he had the answer.

Gaius folded his hands behind his back and started to pace the room, deep in thought. "I do not think Nimueh's intentions were to kill Arthur, but to kill you, Merlin, in vengeance for stopping the destruction of Camelot. If she started a war by doing so, she'd be killing two birds with one stone; her methods have not changed," he stated. "She knew that Merlin would be told to drink the poisoned goblet."

"You need to tell Uther and stop the war from happening then!" Merlin exclaimed and sat up with a start; he had slouched back from the kiss taking his energy. If it was not for his weak and tired muscle, he would have risen to his feet.

Kadian pushed him gently back, brushing his hair away from his brow. "Lie back, Merlin," she said compassionately with a sweet smile that rose pink into his cheeks. She wrapped her hand around his, holding it tightly, thankful that he was with her again.

-x-

Uther, Arthur and Morgana stood on the high balcony that extended from the throne chamber. They watched as Lord Bayard, his court, and servants rode from the city; Gaius had explained to the king that the poison was made more potent by the means of magic and that he recognized Nimueh's hand anywhere. Camelot's cavalry was prepared to meet Mercia's army, but Uther, blinded by Nimueh's name, called off his army.

Morgana looked to her right where Arthur stood with his arms crossed at his chest. "Let the bragging begin," Morgana sighed with the wind blowing against his face, sweeping her face back. "How did you and Azura manage it?"

"I'm not sure," Arthur shrugged as he uncrossed his arms and placed them on the wide railing before him. "All I do know is that we had help. Someone knew that I was in trouble and sent a light to guide the way out of the caves and then rain to tame the fires that blocked our way."

"Who?"

"I don't know. But whoever it was, we only made it back because of him." He shrugged and gazed up at the blue sky, watching as a single cloud rolled by with the wind.

"Well, I'm glad the two of you returned safely," Morgana smiled, seeing Uther glanced over, and turned, entering the palace.

Every last member of Mercia was out of sight now, heading back to their city a long way from Camelot. Uther stepped closer to his son, catching his attention instantly. "That woman you met in the forest, what did she tell you?" he asked calmly without meeting Arthur's gaze.

"Not much," Arthur said as he rested his gaze on his hands. "She was too busy trying to get me killed. It was strange, though."

"In what way?"

Arthur faced his father, keeping one hand on the railing. "I was at her mercy. She could have finished me off, but she chose not to, then went after Azura. She said that it wasn't my destiny to die at her hand, and by the out come, neither was Zu."

"You must have been scared," Uther said with a grunt, sparing a single glance to his son.

"It had its moments. I was more scared of letting Azura die than dying over anything," Arthur admitted as he remembered the scent of fire in the air once he climbed out of the cavern.

"Those who practice magic know only evil. They despise and seek to destroy goodness where ever they find it," the king stated gently, gazing out at the trees before the balcony and the gates. "Which is why she wanted you and Azura dead when she saw you. She _is_ evil."

Arthur stared at his father, getting a vibe that Uther had known the sorceress in the forest. "Sounds as if you know her," he replied, following Uther's gaze out across the railing.

Uther dropped his head ashamed as he admitted, "I do." He paused as Arthur looked at him suspiciously, studying his face for more than just two words. "To know the heart of one sorcerer is to know them all," Uther stated, turning to his son. "You did the right thing, Arthur. But you should not have allowed Azura to go with you."

"You try to argue with her, father," Arthur laughed. "We'll see if you can do any better." Uther smiled weakly.

Arthur grinned as his father placed a hand on his shoulder as he said, "I am proud of you, I hope you know that." He patted his son's shoulder and walked toward the archway leading back into the castle. However, he stopped and turned back to Arthur, who met his curious gaze. "Arthur, one more thing: is she really?"

"_No._" Arthur chuckled with his cheeks burning crimson and dropped his gaze to the ground. "I don't think I'm anywhere near ready for something like _that_."

"That's good to hear."

-x-

Arthur walked into Gaius' chambers and saw Merlin sitting at the table sipping tea from a small cup with a blanket draped over his shoulders. Kadian was across the chamber, helping Gaius tidy up the place. She looked up when her brother entered, raised an eyebrow and returned to folding sheets.

"Still alive then?" Arthur smirked as he crossed the room to stand by Merlin.

"Oh, yeah, just about," Merlin said weakly with a faint chuckle; he double took the sight of Arthur to make sure that he was not seeing things. "I understand that I have you and Azura to thank for that."

"Yeah, well, it was nothing," Arthur replied cockily and rested a hand on the back of the chair. Kadian sent him a look that made him wince.

"There was a bloody fire, Arthur," Kadian stated, dropped a pile of sheets onto the cot. "And from what I hear you would've been dead the moment you entered the forest if it hadn't been for Zu."

"Oh _shut up_," Arthur groaned with an annoyed glare and turned to Merlin. "A half-decent servant is hard to come by. I only dropped by to see if Merlin here (he patted his back) was all right. Trust you know that you'll be back to work tomorrow, Merlin."

Kadian's eyes rolled and she picked up the last sheet, folded it, and placed it on top of the pile to her left. "Oh yeah, bright and early," Merlin said jokingly; he hoped to take a day to regain all of his strength. "Thank you."

"You too," Arthur replied with a nod. As Kadian carried the sheets into Merlin's bedroom, he brought his head down to whisper in Merlin's ear, "You better treat her well, Merlin. She _is_ my sister." With that, he pushed off the chair and left the physician's. Merlin chuckled slightly, looking away with pink cheeks.

Kadian stepped into the chamber as Arthur shut the door behind him. She went to Merlin and kissed softly on his pink cheek, then his lips, before saying, "Get some rest. I'll come by later to check on you."

Merlin smiled as she walked away, completely entranced by the sensation of her lips against his. Arthur did not have to worry about Kadian being treated badly, Merlin knew that he would never harm her in any way, shape, of form. The door shut behind her, stopping his eyes from following her down the corridor and to where ever she was heading.

However, Merlin knew that the door would not keep them apart forever.

-x-

_**The language used for the original spells said by Kadian and Nimueh above were in Greek. Yes, we figured that the spells from the show were of Latin origin, but Greek is close enough. Please note, they are rough translations. We will be using Greek for the spells said by our characters or those not said in the series.**_

_**Gvriste ta sunephia epanó apo to mauro Balor kai phirte tey broxey gia na suntripsete ten purkagia**_

_-turn the clouds above Balor black and bring rain to vanquish the fire._

_**Empotheste ton tropo toush me ten purkagia**_

_-block their way with fire._

*** "Mithrill" belongs to Tolkin's Lord of the Rings ***

**Next time on Forbidden Magic and Desires:**

_**An ambitious man rescues Kadian and Merlin from an untimely fate and in return, they aid him in his childhood dream to become a Knight of Camelot. Uther is reunited with an old friend, who's daughter is tired of the leash around her neck.**_


	6. Episode Five: Lancelot

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

Golden light peered over the shadowed horizon, colouring the navy sky in warm pink and orange. Slowly, the larks woke and began their lovely lullaby that roused the slumbering wood. The days since Merlin's poisoning had been steady with no threats to Camelot, poisonings, and especially, no magic. It made the King quite restless that he had not given the order to execute anyone in what seemed like ages.

In yellow-glowing woods, Kadian and Merlin stood, picking fungi for Gaius, the court physician, to be used in a tincture. It was soothing to escape from the clutches of palace life. There, in the wilderness, they could be themselves and be untouched by Uther's damned law; they were still careful, nonetheless.

Bending down, Merlin picked a brown mushroom from the base of a tall tree and placed it into the woven basket that rested near him. There was a pleasant birdsong above them. Kadian picked a mushroom and, grinning, she tossed it at Merlin; it hit him on the side of the head and lolled on the ground. He chuckled with an annoyed and amused expression and he threw one, missing as she leapt out of the way.

Kadian retaliated as he rose to his feet and the mushroom collided with his forehead; she giggled with her cheeks a bright pink.

"You've done it now," he stated and chased after her as she ran. Merlin's arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her into the air slightly; she started to laugh, resting her head back against his shoulder. Merlin held her close, pecking her on the rosy cheek.

_Skraaw!_ Merlin released Kadian and spun around, hearing the high-pitch screech from behind. His eyes grew wide and he could hear Kadian's cute laugh cease as she caught her breath.

It had a large, black-feathered body like that of a mountain lion with the gigantic wings and ravenous face of a majestic eagle. Staring down at the humans with golden eyes, the beast let loose a screech that shook the tree branches.

Turning swiftly, Merlin pushed Kadian ahead of him, shouting for her to run. They ran through the labyrinth of trees and into the brush in hope of escape. The beast chased them in a heated pursuit, crushing the woven basket beneath a massive talon. Kadian could hear the booming _thumps_ of the beast's talons against the leaf-caked ground, or was it the rapid beat of her panicked heart?

She tripped over an erect tree root and slid across the ground, cutting her palms on concealed rocks. Wincing, she rolled onto her back and stared at the pursuing beast with wide, frightful eyes. Merlin reached down to pull her to her feet.

It was too late; the creature was before them. _Skraaw! _ The beast screeched, rearing onto its hind legs and lashing the crisp air with its finely curved talons.

Merlin embraced Kadian tightly, pressing her to him as close as he could. And they sat there in each other's arms, waiting for the monster to rip their flesh off their bones and take their lives quickly and easily. Kadian closed her eyes and gripped Merlin's tunic tightly.

A flash of silver whirled through the air and the beast jumped back in alarm, letting loose a puzzled cry. A man stepped before them with a double-edged sword in his hand. He jabbed the blade forward and ducked low beneath a wild talon. Squealing, the beast flared out its black wings as the man rasped the sharp edge of his sword against its flank. Unexpectedly, the steel shattered like glass as it collided with the beast and fell to the ground, useless.

"Run! Run!" shouted the man as he dropped the remaining hilt of the blade. Merlin pulled Kadian to her feet and pushed her ahead.

Merlin and the man followed closely at her heels, listening to the eerie rataplan of the creature's talons. Kadian leapt over a pair of fallen trees and sat against wide trunks; her chest rose and fell with her heavy breaths. Merlin and the man sat on both sides of her, quiet as mice, and Merlin folded his fingers around her hand, holding it firmly.

Spreading out its wings to their fullest, the beast leapt over the fallen trees and soared into the serene sky. Gradually, it vanished among the puffy clouds with a shrill screech, leaving them with their lives. Kadian's head fell against Merlin's chest and she listened to his frightened heartbeat. Smiling relieved, Merlin combed his fingers through her wild, blonde hair.

"You saved our lives," Merlin panted as he glanced at their saviour. "I'm Merlin."

"Kadian," she introduced and sat up, leaning back against Merlin who wrapped his arms around her protectively.

Sweat dripped from his dark-brown, wavy hair that was cut at his chin. A hand was pressed against his side and he winced as he adjusted his back against the trees. "Lancelot," he introduced with his voice wavering. He stared at them for a moment before his head fell against the tree behind him, eyes closed. His hand collapsed onto his thigh and revealed a fresh bloodstain on his tunic.

-x-

It was passed midday when Kadian left the court physician's chamber, happy to hear that Lancelot would be fine by morning; Merlin stayed with Gaius to help him care for their saviour. That morning, after Kadian and Merlin ventured into the woods, Arthur and his father had left the city to investigate an attack on a village. Roaming through the palace, Kadian changed her dress that was stained with dirt and grass and searched for Azura and Morgana. A maid told her that they were in the field where the archers were training.

Azura was in the centre of a mob of archers that were bewitched by her skill with a bow. There was a target in the distance that held various arrows in the tiny, yellow circle in the centre. Morgana was sitting in a chair near the crowd, watching with wide eyes and an impressed expression. Azura let loose another arrow and the flint arrowhead pierced through another arrow on the bull's eye.

"Zu, why do you practice if you know you are going to hit it every… single… time?" Kadian smiled watching three more arrows hit the centre, splicing one after the other.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Azura called as she shooed the archers away and lowered the bow; she met Kadian's stare and smiled. "This lot needs all the help they can get and Arthur's not here. I _refuse_ to sit in my chambers all day. Morgana's fantastic company, but we can only gossip about so much. You've been with Merlin; did you get bored of Merlin already?"

"Oh, enough from you. Go back to shooting your arrows," Kadian scowled and sat beside Morgana, who could see that she was ragged.

"What happened? Your hands are cut," Morgana asked worriedly, taking up Kadian's hands and turning her palms up. There were tiny cuts that had scabbed and reeked of an ointment that Gaius had administered. "Did it get a little intense in the woods?" She grinned as she dropped Kadian's hands.

Kadian rolled her eyes and her cheeks flushed crimson. "Morgana!" she exclaimed angrily. "We were attacked by this creature; it was huge and bird-like. A swordsman, Lancelot, came to our rescue. Merlin and Gaius are tending to him now, so I decided to let the boys have their time."

"Are all of you alright?" Morgana gasped as she brought her hands to cup her mouth; her green eyes were wide with fright.

"Yes, Morgana, we are alright; Lancelot will be well by morning," Kadian answered with curt, reassuring nod. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Azura send another arrow at the target and hit the centre again; this time she had her eyes closed. "Stop showing off already."

"Then, give me something better to do!" Azura shouted annoyed and she tossed the bow to the ground; it landed silently beside the few remaining arrows that were stuck in the ground. Lying back, Azura crossed her arms behind her head and gazed up at the peaceful sky, following a single cloud as it rolled by. "I'm _bored_."

-x-

Far outside of Camelot, Arthur and his father watched a village burn from the cover trees; several soldiers were concealed in the bushes. They could hear the hysterical screams of the villagers as some burned alive in the flames that consumed their houses while other sobbed for their lost friends and possession. A cloud of gray smoke billowed over the village, slowly expanding as the fires licked up each timber; the sight of smoke made Arthur uneasy.

Uther gazed out, the pain evident in his eyes to be helpless as one of his villages burned. They had arrived too late; the village was burning when they arrived. "What creature could have done this?" he asked concerned.

"We found no tracks, in or out," Arthur stated as he sat back in the saddle. The burning scene was hard to endure, even his bay horse trembled. "What the villagers said must be true. It has wings and..."

"What?" Uther set his bold, blue gaze on Arthur, studying his uneasy expression. The King tugged the reins slightly, keeping his stallion still.

"It took no livestock, only people," Arthur replied, shaking his head like he did not believe his own words. He could not move his eyes away from the whipping, amber flames; the memory of them consuming the Forest of Balor was fresh in his mind and he remembered painfully the burn on Azura's arm.

"Put the lookouts on full alert. If this thing should make to Camelot, we must be ready," the king instructed. "And make time to inform Azura on the situation. She may have heard of such a thing, perhaps Luthrembel had seen its like."

Arthur nodded, acknowledging that he heard his orders. Flicking the reins, he guide the horse away from the village and he and his father made their way to Camelot. The screams and cackling fire echoed behind them for miles until there was no sound around them.

-x-

The sun was setting behind the dark horizon with the sky cast in a haunting, fiery colour. A harsh wind blew from the south and Uther looked up suddenly. His fierce expression relaxed as he saw an old colleague at the gate, Sir Anthony McAlister with his daughter, Larka. Over a year ago, Sir McAlister had approached Uther and asked to journey out into Albion in search of relatives that had been run out of their village by raiders. Graciously, Uther allowed Sir McAlister to leave Camelot as a way to repay an unsettled debt.

Larka was the first to notice the king and prince and tugged on her father's cloak to tell him who was near. She greeted the King with a friendly, noticeably faked, smile. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a tail, leaving several dark strands to curtain her face. Below thin eyebrows, she had chocolate eyes that stared straight through Arthur absently like he was not there. A black cloak was securely wrapped around her, keeping watching eyes at bay.

Sir McAlister turned from the stable boy who had taken the reins of their horses. "Good evening, my lord," he said cheerily, bowing his head low in respect. His hair was long and curlier than his daughter's and he had a short beard from days without shaving.

"Anthony," Uther replied with a smile as he dismounted, "it is good to see you." He swept his eyes across the familiar faces and he seemed to be relieved to see them. Resting a firm, welcoming hand on the knight's shoulder, Uther continued, "Was your journey successful?"

"Yes, sire," Sir McAlister answered with a nod as he took his daughter's hand. Larka eluded the King's gaze and stared passed them both, at a shadow that loomed beyond the gates; whatever it was, it seemed to interest her more.

"Dine with me and my family tonight. I am eager to hear about your quest," Uther stated firmly as he let a guard take the reins of his horse. Arthur had dismounted and was watching the glowing palace windows curiously, like he was expecting something to appear; he let the guard take his horse as well.

"It would be an honour, sire," Sir McAlister replied with a wide smile and they shook firm hands. As the McAlisters turned to leave, Larka's brown eyes glared at Arthur as he instructed one of the guards to inform his servant to groom his horse thoroughly and clean the horse's shoes.

-x-

Arthur entered the watchtower and startled the guards that surveyed the still woods around Camelot. In a few, quick sentences, Arthur described the beast that had attacked the village. he guards nodded and scrambled away to alert the other lookouts of their instructions.

Arthur raced to his chambers to change out of his chain mail and into something more suitable for dining with guests. All he found as a simple red tunic, which was good enough for now, and pulled it over his naked chest. There was a knock on the door and he jumped, nearly falling over the chair to his right.

"Enter," he said sternly as he reached for his belt that rested on the table; he hoped that it was anyone but Merlin. The door slowly creaked open, letting loose a squeal like the wood was going to fall off its hinged. Azura walked in with an angelic smile and dressed in a very flattering gown that stole Arthur's attention quickly.

"See, I knocked this time," she laughed, seeing him secure his belt around his waist. He met her aqua eyes, momentarily being lost in them, and smiled. Azura walked over to him, sweeping her fingers tips over the tabletop. "So, how was father-son bonding?"

"You're funny," Arthur smiled and took his sword from the table, strapping it to his belt. "It was a bit disturbing, to be honest. I can't even imagine the kind of creature that could have done such a thing."

"Were there any tracks?" Azura wondered as she moved around him and fixed the collar of his tunic, it had rolled up in the back. Her hands were warm on the back of his neck and Arthur blushed faintly.

"None. The villagers claimed that it had wings. It took people instead of livestock. What kind of bird does that?" Arthur turned to her, catching her hands before they fell to her sides.

"Not your every day pigeon, that's for sure," Azura shrugged with her eyes on the ceiling as she searched through her mind for the answer that matched his vague description. "I don't recall a man-eating, winged beast from my studies, but I'm curious. I'll look into it and see what I can find."

"Thank you." Arthur kissed her lips tenderly, grinning at her sweet taste; he had been anxious to kiss her all day. With the way she kissed him in return, locking her arms around his neck and rising onto his toes, she had been anxious as well.

"It'll give me something to do tomorrow. I've never been so bored in my life," Azura smiled as she drew back to breath; she met his gaze and treated him to another kiss as he cupped his hands over her burning cheeks.

Azura pulled away with reluctance and pressed two fingers against his lips as he went for a third. "No more, you have a dinner to get to. You are not being held up any longer by me," she smirked and unfolded her arms; the little voice in her mind was screaming for him to stay with her and blow off his family and guests.

"Why don't you join us? I hate to see you eat by yourself, again," Arthur sighed as he kissed her forehead and coiled his strong arms around her. He pressed her against his chest and she listened to the faint heartbeat.

"I can't unless Uther invites me himself." She lifted her head off of his chest and met his gaze. "It's alright, Arthur. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

Brushing the back of her hand against his hot cheek, she pulled from his grasp and went to open the door. He followed her out like a loyal dog, craving more of that sweet taste that was on his lips, and watched as she vanished around with a glance over her shoulder.

-x-

Kadian glanced up as the doors swung open and her brother walked in, apologizing for his tardiness, and took his seat between Uther and herself. Morgana was to Uther's left and Larka sat on the same side of the table, only near her father; Sir McAlister sat at the other end of the table, facing the king.

Arthur leaned close to his father and whispered, "The lookouts are on full alert. Azura said that she would look into the creature."

"Good," Uther acknowledged with an approving nod and shifted his attention onto his guest. "Now, tell us, Sir Anthony, about your journey."

"Our journey took us far north of Camelot to a small village, Skara Brae. Our relatives were ecstatic to see us when we arrived. The entire village threw us a magnificent banquet. It was a pleasure to see family, my lord." Anthony paused and took his daughter's hand as she dropped her fork on the plate in front of her; her eyes had glossed with tears and Kadian's head tilted, intrigued for Larka's body language did not match the tears welling up in her eyes. "Even though we bore terrible news when we reached the village."

Uther's back straightened as he remembered that three persons had left Camelot to undertake the journey. "Forgive me." The King spoke softly, resting his utensil beside his plate. "I had not realized."

"Do not be sorry, my lord. All people have their time and they live on in our hearts," Anthony replied as he released his daughter's hand. "It was tragic, yes, but we have learned to move on."

"Indeed," Uther nodded and thought for a long, silent moment. He clapped his hands together as his eyes widened with a brilliant thought. "Larka, I believe that you should meet a young friend of ours. She has been through the same experiences and many more."

"I do not know, sire," Larka said with a soft voice like that of an angel. She swept her gaze across the King's face, glancing at the golden crown that the torchlight danced upon. Her cheeks burned with colour with faint embarrassment and she folded her hands together in her laps, dropping her gaze to the uneaten food on her plate.

Uther smiled dismissively and waved a hand in the air. "Nonsense, I insist. Arthur will see that you meet the Lady Azura tomorrow morning."

"If he'll let her go," Kadian mumbled under her breath; Arthur kicked her shin to be quiet. She kicked him back with a taunting grin, then looked away innocently before they broke out into a fight like they would when they were children.

Sir McAlister cocked his head to the side at the mention of Azura. "The princess of Luthrembel? We went to seek refuge in the city a few days passed, but there was nothing left when we arrived. The entire place had been burnt to the ground. Is she well?" the knight asked with worry tinting his voice. The water in Larka's eyes vanished and she grasped the fork tightly in her hand, as if she wanted to squeeze the life out of it.

"She had been in Camelot when Luthrembel fell," Uther informed, meeting the knight's gaze. "She was unharmed... Though, that is a tale for another time, Anthony. Please, continue."

Arthur, Kadian, and Larka ate in silence while the king and the knight continued to talk, in depth, about the McAlisters' journey away from Camelot. Kadian ate light as a bird and watched Larka suspiciously, glancing at Morgana who also noticed the sudden change in Larka's emotions at Azura's name.

-x-

Azura was woken by the hollow sound of knocking against her chamber door. She groaned as she rolled onto her side and sat up, her legs dangling over the edge with her nightgown shifting with the chilly draft. Slowly, she rose to her feet, wincing at the coldness of the floor, and went to her desk to comb through the rat's nest upon her temple.

"Who is it?" she asked with a long yawn as she rubbed the sand from her eyes. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she could see they weariness in her face and another yawn escaped her lips.

"Arthur," a velvety voice replied quietly from the hallway.

"Enter," Azura said merrily as her mood suddenly lifted. She scrambled around the chamber to find something suitable to wear, anything was better than her nightgown, and vanished behind the screen as Arthur pushed the door open.

He stumbled back as he took her nightgown in the face; it had been thrown from the screen. Holding the pale gown in his hand, he glanced at the screen speaking softly, "If now's a bad time…" The gown was still warm as it sat in his grasp and he had to toss it away before he smuggled it back to his chamber.

"It's fine," Azura smiled as she stepped from behind the screen, fixing her the top of her white dress. Her hair was wavy from sleeping and even in her tired state, Arthur could see the glow her skin held; he wished that he could see the glow every morning. "So, what has brought you to me this morning?" she asked, readjusting her dress again.

"Maybe, I just wanted to see you," Arthur grinned and gave her a quick kiss as she went over.

Azura stepped away and raised an eyebrow, waving a finger in the air. "If you did, you wouldn't have knocked," she smiled and turned to the desk. Lifting up a gold chain, she placed the aquamarine pendant her brother had given to her around her neck. The happiness in her eyes dropped for a moment before collecting back into them.

Arthur nodded slowly, knowing that she was right. He was suited in silver mail with two swords tied to his belt. "My father would like you to meet the daughter of Sir McAlister," he stated and embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "That's why I came early, so we could spend some time together before you get all teary-eyed with Larka."

"_Larka __McAlister_?" Azura growled harshly through clenched teeth. She looked at their reflection in the gilt mirror and smiled at how right it looked for her to be in his arms, leaning back against his armoured chest.

"You know her?"

"Sure, you could say that."

-x-

With the morning light seeping into the chamber through the various windows lining the ceiling, Lancelot stood with his arms crossed against his chest and Merlin sat in the corner, watching and listening to him. Lancelot's wound had healed almost completely and was painless thanks to the handy work of the court physician. He gazed out the window, taking in the breath-taking sight of Camelot, and said, "Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of coming here. It's my life's ambition to join the knights of Camelot."

Merlin smiled as he leaned forward in his seat, interested. He motioned with his hand to say "here you are".

"I know what you're going to say: 'I expect too much'," Lancelot continued with a chuckle and looked at Merlin. "After all, who am I? They have the pick of the best and bravest in the land."

"Lancelot," Merlin said sternly.

"Yes?"

"They are going to love you," Merlin stated with a wide grin and an assuring nod.

"They are?" Lancelot asked curiously; it was just the feeling of actually being in Camelot that made him doubt himself and the outcome of his ambition.

"Yeah, I've seen you in action. You can shame the Great Arthur himself," Merlin replied as he shook his head at Lancelot's self-doubt. He saw that courage in Lancelot's eyes when he jumped in front of the winged beast in the wood and his skill with the sword even though it shattered against the beast's flank.

Lancelot huffed, crossing his arms. "I hardly think so."

"In fact, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to talk to him right now," Merlin said, nodding as his scheme melded together in the forefront of his mind. He rose to his feet and reached for the door.

"_You_ know Arthur?" Lancelot asked unbelievingly and stopped Merlin in his tracks.

Merlin looked at him with goofy, serial grin. "Oh yes."

"How so?" Lancelot pressed and stepped toward him curiously.

"Remember Kadian?" Merlin questioned and Lancelot nodded with an of-course expression. A grin stretched across Merlin's face as he pictured Camelot's Princess in his mind and remembered her alluring taste in his mouth. "She's his sister." With that, he left the room in search of Arthur with Lancelot at his heels.

-x-

Arthur had left Azura with Larka in the hall before the exit of the castle as he went to the training grounds to test a swordsman who wished to receive knighthood. The moment Arthur was out of sight, Larka raised an eyebrow, examining Azura from head to toe, and crossed her arms with a sassy grin on her pretty face. "So, leeching off Camelot are we?" she sneered with her brown eyes locked on Azura's gorgeous face; the air seemed to grow hot with tension. "I thought you were low in Luthrembel, but I never realized how shallow you really are."

"Excuse me?" Azura replied appalled at her tone of voice; she had to fend off the urge to slap her across the face for such a disrespectful, insulting remark. "I'm not _leeching_ off of Camelot. Uther has given me sanctuary here since I have no where else to go."

"So, causing the king's son to fall head over heels for you is just, I don't know, a bonus? I highly doubt that," Larka hissed with a faint cackle as she circled around Azura like a huntress stalking prey.

Azura clinched her jaw together, taking those words like a sword through the heart; she felt her breaths grow heavy with her rage. "My brother was _murdered_," she hissed with her voice hanging on every syllable; using the word "murdered" hit her square, nearly taking her breath. "And my kingdom was destroyed right under my nose. How _dare _you suggest that I am using Arthur to my own advantage just so I can sleep in a cosy bed every night!"

Unable to control her anger, Azura pushed Larka against the wall with her arm pressed firmly against her throat. It would be easily to crush her windpipe, only a little more force and several minutes of waiting until her face turned blue. Larka, however, laughed and pushed Azura back.

"Those of royalty are all the same, waving their hands to tell others to do their dirty work and taking advantage of those who actually work to survive in the cruel reality," Larka stated harshly and turned her nose up at Azura who clenched two fists at her sides; Larka was enjoying Azura's rash rage. "You all think that you are above the law, that you are untouchable and cannot even be approached unless an advisor consults you first."

"I can survive on my own," Azura muttered and gazed at the ground beside her shoes, counting the tiny cracks in the stone. "And I do not think of myself about the law. Pawn your troubles on someone who'd actually give a damn." She turned and stalked toward the open archway, vanishing into the street.

"That's it. Go on, bat your pretty blue eyes at Arthur. He'll make all of this disappear for you," Larka called after her with a dark grin. She turned and walked blissfully by Lancelot, Kadian and Merlin. Her brown eyes trailed over Lancelot and his did the same, but was drawn away by the sight of the live streets and then the training ground as it approached.

-x-

Kadian gazed around at the knights that were watching the test, snickering as the silently placed bets on the squire's success and failure. She saw her brother standing in the centre, making sure all of his armour was on correctly, and then she saw Azura sitting in the far back on a small rock wall. Her face was slightly red and she was ripping grass out of the ground beside her, tossing it to the ground below her feet to be stepped upon later. Kadian wondered if the shouting had been from her and Larka, but her attention moved at the sound of her brother's egocentric voice.

"Right, you jumped up dung beetle, this is it: the final test. Pass this, and you are a knight of Camelot," Arthur stated, walking by the squire who spun two swords in figure eights, readying himself. "Fail, you're no one. You face the most feared of all foes, the ultimate killing machine." Arthur paused and spun around, drawing his sword. "You face me. You're challenge: last one minute, free combat."

Arthur ignored his sister's giggling and glanced over at Azura; he seemed rather hurt that she was not paying much attention to him. "Grimmond, second son of Wessex." An hourglass was turned over as the prince continued, "You're time starts now."

Lancelot watched in amazement as the squire approached Arthur, spinning one blade and holding the other stationary as he contemplated the first move. He saw shocked to see how quick Arthur was; the prince took the swordsman down in mere seconds. As a silver blade whipped through the air, Arthur ducked down and slid under the swordsman's arm, stepped behind his foot with his right. Swiftly, Arthur spun and elbowed the man in the stomach and as the two swords rose into the air, the man's head flew back as Arthur's right knee collided with his chin.

Arthur stepped back with disappointment written on his face that Grimmond had failed. He bent down and removed the blue and white flag from the defeated man's belt, ordering for him to be taken away. He glanced over at Azura, sending her a wink before turning to those who applauded his triumph.

Kadian shook her head and nudged Lancelot back into reality. "If you think my brother is quick, you should see how long you'd last against her," she said, motioning her head toward Azura who still tore the grass from the ground. "She's the mastermind behind footwork."

Lancelot glanced at Azura, finding no threat in the woman, and turned to Kadian, looking from her to Arthur and to her again. "I still don't see how the two of you are related," he said, scratching his head in puzzlement.

"It's alright, neither do I half the time. I find it amusing though. We're twins and we barely look alike," Kadian replied and turned her gaze onto Azura who still took her troubles out on the earth. "Wonder what's set her off," she mused to herself, not realizing that Lancelot had walked off and Merlin had gone to follow Arthur. Shrugging, she joined Merlin and her brother as they headed back through the lower town and toward the palace.

-x-

The lower town was full of life with men and women exchanging goods and money. Several new merchants had arrived from neighbouring kingdoms bringing merchandise that seemed to be selling fast. Kadian smiled as a small child brushed passed her waving a brand new doll in her hands; her parents must have saved for a long while to purchase the doll.

"Grimmond is the third to fail this month," Arthur said as he wrapped up the tie of the sheath in his hand. Merlin was behind him, holding the armour that Arthur had tossed off, and Kadian was beside Merlin rolling her eyes at her brother's complaining. "How am I suppose to protect Camelot with rubbish like that?" Arthur asked, throwing his arms to the side in defeat.

"Have Zu fight. She'd could take them all blindfolded," Kadian snickered with a smile as her brother just shook his head at her comment because he knew that she had a point.

"Well, I think that I might be able to help," Merlin stated weakly and sunk his shoulders; Arthur sent him a dark, amused look.

"You, Merlin? You haven't the faintest idea what takes to be a knight: courage, fortitude, _discipline_," Arthur stated sternly and tossed his sheath on to the pile of armour Merlin carried. Kadian reached over and grabbed the sheath, holding it for Merlin who nodded in thanks as his arms trembled under the weight.

"No, no, no. Of course I don't. But I do know someone who does," Merlin babbled, walking after Arthur who started to move faster.

"Yeah?" Arthur retorted as he gazed about the lower town.

"He saved my life and your sister's too," Merlin added and nearly tripped over his own boots; the armour jostled and almost fell into the mud.

Arthur turned to him, looking at Kadian who acknowledged Merlin's words. "That's bland for starters," Arthur mumbled and turned away uninterested.

"Arthur, he's really good," Kadian inputted and took the hauberk from Merlin's growing pile.

Arthur turned once more and set his eyes on both of them as they gazed at him, pleading. "That's great that you think so, but have the two of you forgotten the first code of Camelot?"

"The what?" Merlin asked with a highly amusing, dumbfounded expression.

"The first code of Camelot," Kadian sighed heavily and avoiding Merlin's gaze, it had slipped her mind. "Only those of noble blood can serve as knights, Merlin." There was an immoveable obstacle in Lancelot's path to fulfil his dream and Kadian felt disappointed for him.

Arthur nodded, approving Kadian's short connotation of the first code, and noticed the surprise in Merlin eyes. "So, unless your terrific _saviour_ is a noblemen..."

"He... he is," Merlin interrupted, fumbling. Kadian looked curious at Merlin, studying his stern face; was Lancelot a nobleman? He did look or sound like a nobleman, in Kadian's perspective, but again, every noble Kadian had met was different from the last.

"Is he?" Arthur wondered as he pulled off his gloves.

"Absolutely," Merlin nodded with an assuring grin and hopeful eyes that were navy in the sunlight.

"Very well," Arthur decided as he tossed his gloves onto Merlin's growing pile, which Kadian swore began to growl. "Bring him 'round the training grounds tomorrow. Make sure that he brings his seal of nobility." He turned to his sister, catching her thankful stare, and glanced behind them curiously. "You don't happen to know where Azura went, do you? I swear that she was right behind us."

Kadian shrugged, "Isn't it your job to keep track of her? I mean, she's the one who pin against the wall when you're not running around insulting the rest of us." She smirked and continued dismissively, "She probably just went to cool down; something angered her Let's go, Merlin."

Arthur's eyes trailed after them until they disappeared from sight, side by side, and he just shook his head, trying to understand why and how his only sister could fall in love with a servant, let alone his own servant.

-x-

Kadian and Merlin entered the physician's chamber after placing Arthur's armour in his chamber for there was nothing tainting their glimmering finish. Lancelot was before them in an instant with wonder widening his brown eyes. Kadian looked away as Merlin glanced at the ground , shaking his head. The hope in Lancelot's eyes fractured and shattered like glass against the floor and he placed his head in his hands. All the training he had done was now a waste.

"He said he'd like to meet you!" Merlin exclaimed suddenly with a big smile. Lancelot gazed up from his callused palms rapturously with his eyes wide in disbelief.

_"Yes_. Thank you! Thank you!_"_ Lancelot replied as he shook Merlin roughly by the hand and nearly embraced Kadian, who smiled and accepted a lighter handshake.

Merlin cleared his throat, silencing Lancelot, and met the man's gaze, reading the happiness that blossomed from the coffee irises. He fumbled over his words at first, and then gradually, his voice became clear. "You don't happen to be a nobleman by any chance, are you?"

Kadian's arms locked behind her back and let her gaze fall to the floor because she did not want to see Lancelot's hopes dismember again. She heard Gaius rummaging through a pile of parchment on his workbench, and the physician seemed pleased with what he found.

"A nobleman? No. Good lord, no." Lancelot paused, suddenly curious by Merlin's asking; he saw Kadian glance over at Gaius. He was hesitant as he said concerned, "Why do you ask?"

"It's... it's just that..." Merlin stammered as he struggled to find the nicest terms to use. With his brow furrowed, he glanced over at Gaius who set down the parchment in his hand and walked casually over to them.

"The first code of Camelot states that only those of noble blood can serve as a knight," Gaius stated as he folded his hands before him, rustling his navy robe. He set a sorrow-filled gaze on Lancelot, studying the man's confused, disbelieving expression. "Uther created the knights in order to protect this kingdom from those who sought to destroy it. He knew that his life would rest in the hands of the knights so he chose only those belonging to the families that had sworn allegiance to him to serve; nobility. Thus came about the first code of Camelot."

Kadian's eyes rolled. "He's just a paranoid fool who doesn't know a loyal swordsman if he stood right before him. I find it rather idiotic, this code. Where does it state that those of noble blood won't betray Uther? And, those not of loyal blood would not protect the king?"

"But that's not fair," Merlin protested with a heavy sigh. Lancelot took a seat on a lonely stool and placed his head in his hands, hoping to catch his dream as it broke.

"Fair or unfair, Merlin: the law is the law. Uther does not want to leave his life in the hands of knights like Valiant," Gaius stated looking at Kadian who was sympathetic toward Lancelot as his head lay in his hands. She glanced up at the mention of Valiant and the sound Azura's cries flooded her ears. "I am sorry, Lancelot," Gaius said softly and returned to his work.

Kadian motioned with her head for Merlin to take Lancelot into his chambers to comfort him. "Go on," she whispered with a reassuring look, "I'll see what I can do." Merlin nodded, grinning as he could tell that the wheels in her mind were turning., and he took Lancelot by the arm , pulling him into his chamber.

Gaius raised an furry, white eyebrow as Kadian stood still, pondering her options with her index finger tapping her chin. "What are you going to do?" the physician asked curiously.

"I have no idea," Kadian shrugged and turned swiftly, exiting the chamber.

-x-

Azura browsed through the books in the small Camelot library, pained to see the amount of dust that coated every binding and the silver cobwebs dangling from bookshelf to bookshelf. Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court genealogist and keeper of the library, watched her dance through the shelves as if she was in a field of dandelions. He had been grateful for her contribution of the books she had taken from Luthrembel and had them on their own shelves behind his desk.

All she needed was to get her mind off of Larka and on something completely different from the centre of their argument. She removed an old text from the shelf, blew off the dust with a soft breath, and opened it on a bench. There were intricate drawings on each of the aged-yellow pages depicting many winged beasts with in-depth passages describing the creature's origin, physique and behaviour. She sighed for she found nothing relatively close to the monster that attack Greenswood.

Azura shut the book sharply and sneezed as a cloud of dust ascended into the air; her eyes watered and she placed the text onto the shelf that squealed at the added weight.

"My lady, are you looking for something in-particular?" Geoffrey asked warmly as he looked up from his desk in the front of the library. He set down the owl-feathered quill and folded his fingers together.

"Not necessarily," Azura sighed and placed her hands on her narrow hips disappointed. She glanced at him and smiled faintly. "You should really clean this place up. It hurts to see all of these books in this condition."

"Azura, Arthur's been looking everywhere for you!" Kadian exclaimed as she came up from behind, pressing a firm, startling hand on her shoulder. "Why are you hiding here?"

"I was just doing a bit of research, that's all," Azura replied and turned to her friend, cocking her head to the side. "What has brought Camelot's _princess_ into this dark corner of the palace?"

"Homework," Kadian grumbled, motioning to Merlin's messenger bag she had swiped from the physician's chamber. "I suggest you find my brother before he goes mad."

"Oh, very well." Azura waved good-bye to Geoffrey and left what she thought was a pathetic excuse for a library. It crossed her mind that Kadian had somewhat of a guilty expression in her eyes, but she knew that if it had anything to do with disobeying Uther, there was no stopping her. Azura had hoped that her research would have been more successful, but she had seen enough words on parchment for the day and frankly, her head was beginning to pound at squinting at the tiny letters. What if the creature was not common? she thought, her curiosity now intrigued. What if this monster was of magic?

She roamed the halls with her hands behind her back as she stared up at the ceiling deep in thought, racking her brain for the answers to all her questions. Many things swarmed through her mind, not just questions, some happy thoughts, and some not so happy. A lot of what-ifs crossed her mind like what if Jaiden was still alive, would she be here? Her head shook and dismissed the thoughts.

"Why is it that you always seem to slip out of my grasp?" a low, velvet voice breathed in her ear; Azura's entire body quaked at the dreamy sound.

"Because you are always busy with other things," she replied harshly as she spun around to face Arthur with a saddened face, lips curved into a frown.

"Zu..." Arthur said softly with his voice ringing with guilt. Her depressed eyes that locked with his felt like an arrow through the heart.

Azura smiled and the sadness was consumed by amusement. "I'm only joking," she nudged his side playfully. He sighed relieved and combed a hand through his hair as she continued, "I was looking for you actually. I heard you were starting to loose your marbles."

"Oh, _very_ funny," Arthur grumbled and embraced her softly, smoothing the back of her hair. She pulled away and extended a hand for him to take. Curling his fingers around her hand, he walked alongside her down the hall. "Merlin and Kadian wanted to talk to me about some swordsman that saved their lives that was interested in becoming a knight. Why do all these men keep failing?"

"Maybe it's because you are getting to be too good," Azura smiled, elbowing him gently in the side; he looked down at her.. "But, maybe not. You are still heavy on your feet."

"You just won't let that go, will you?" Arthur groaned and nudged her back; he remembered the evening that she taught him about the fundamentals of footwork and he smiled faintly, squeezing her hand a bit.

"Nope," she laughed with a smile that made her glow. However, that bright smile vanished as quickly as it came.

Larka was walking down the corridor, arms swinging at her sides; her brown eyes locked with Azura's, peeling her apart like a banana. Arthur watched as the two pass each other with nothing but fury in their eyes, hoping that the other would drop dead.

Larka's black cloak brushed Azura's arm where a faint remnant of the burn was as the nobleman's daughter passed. It was not until Larka had turn the corner did Azura turn her attention back to Arthur; he was concerned about the tension between them.

"Don't bother," Azura muttered as she pulled her down the corridor. They walked for a moment of silence; Arthur was unsure of what to say and Azura was silently calming herself. "Anyway. I've found nothing on that creature you described to me. The villagers must have been mistaken."

Arthur nodded. "Maybe." He had hoped for a better answer to give his father, but he knew that she was trying. Another silent moment seeped between them as they passed several members of the royal court in the corridor. Arthur glanced over his shoulder, making sure they were out of sight, before asking sweetly, "Do _you_ have any plans for this evening?"

"Hm... not unless something miraculously throws itself in front of me," she replied, brushing the short strands of her hair from her face.

"Good," Arthur nodded. "Then, you and me are getting away from everyone. If that's alright with you, of course." She was aggravatingly quiet for a moment, but she turned to him, setting her eyes on his face as she stepped close to him.

"Sounds like fun." Azura smiled, resting her head against his arm. "What will we be doing, if you don't mind me prying?"

He smirked. "I don't know yet, but I'll think of something,."

-x-

Kadian walked into Gaius' chambers, tightly holding a roll of parchment in her hand. Lancelot was peeling an apple while Merlin lay lazily on the spare cot in the middle of the room; Merlin looked rather dead before he looked up as the door shut. As she waved the piece of parchment in the air, Lancelot asked, "What is that?"

"This?" Kadian gasped, looking at the parchment; Lancelot nodded. "Just your seal of nobility." Kadian smiled as Merlin rolled off the cot and snatched the parchment from her hand.

"I don't understand..." Lancelot replied and placed the knife and apple in his hands onto the table. He watched as Merlin unravelled the parchment, scanning the page with wide, devious eyes.

"I give you: Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria," Merlin stated as he read the words in bold inscribed on the page. He held the unravelled paper and showed Lancelot the intricate, noble symbol where beneath, his name was written in bright red.

"No, Merlin, no." Lancelot waved a finger in the air and shook his head and the temptation away; the forgery looked real enough, but the guilt of lying to everyone in Camelot was a huge risk.

"Oh, I get it. You don't want to be a knight," Kadian shrugged and took the parchment back from Merlin, who frowned.

"Of course I do!" Lancelot exclaimed as she went to place the parchment back into her bag.

"Why then? The rules won't allow it? Damn the rules," Merlin replied harshly. "The rules are wrong."

"But it's a lie," Lancelot protested. "It's against everything the knights stand for."

"So what? You deserve to at least be given a chance to prove your worth, every man should," Kadian retorted placing her free hand on her hip.

"But we'd be breaking the rules," Lancelot stated.

"Not breaking them," Merlin explained dubiously, "just bending them. You get your foot in the door and then after that, you'll be judged by your merits alone. And if you make it and become a knight, then you will know that you earned it, noble or not."

"You have as much right as any man to be a knight," Kadian added with a curt nod. "I'd rather have you fighting for Camelot over any of the saps that have beaten my brother to receive knighthood. I owe you that chance."

Lancelot sat down on the edge of the table. "I don't know," he sighed and crossed his arms against his broad chest.

"We can't change the way things are, but _you_ can if you just let us help you," Merlin said softly as he took the parchment from Kadian and walked over to Lancelot. He held it before Lancelot hoping that he would take it and chase his life's ambition once more. Hesitantly, Lancelot grabbed hold to the parchment, realizing that his ambitions had been chased for too long.

Kadian and Merlin smiled as Lancelot rose to his feet and held the fake seal of nobility before him like a lit torch. "Come, we need to get you fit for chain mail," Kadian stated, moving toward the door and pulling it open. "We know just the person to help."

-x-

They brought Lancelot to Guinevere, the Lady Morgana's maidservant and a great seamstress. Gwen was gracious enough to push her duties aside to help Lancelot since she owed Merlin for saving her life from when she was accused of sorcery. Gwen measured the length and width of Lancelot's arms, legs, and chest and smiled as Lancelot continuously thanked her.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said from the doorway, "I was told I was to see you for sewing this gown."

Gwen looked up from Lancelot and saw Larka McAlister standing in the doorway with a gown lain across her arms. "You were told correct, my lady. Please, have a seat. I'll be with you in a moment," she said politely as she took one last measurement of Lancelot's neck. "I should have your mail for you soon."

Larka nodded and took a seat on one of the stools opposite of Merlin and Kadian, curiously eyeing Camelot's princess who had her hand covered by Merlin's. Her attention was brought up to Lancelot. "Are you training to become a knight?" she asked, over hearing Gwen.

"Y-yes," Lancelot stammered nervously; his shaky voice nearly gave their plan away. "My name is Lancelot."

"Larka," she replied with a dazzling smile; she noticed Kadian and Merlin rise to their feet and head for the door. "I hope you make it. We need more knights like you instead of Prince Arthur and those like _him_."

"Thank you," Lancelot smiled, dipping his head to hide his flustered face.

Larka handed her gown to Gwen as she came over. "It was nice meeting you, Lancelot. I wish you luck," she said softly as Kadian and Merlin beckoned for him to follow them from the open doorway.

"It was nice to meet you too, my lady," Lancelot replied and went over to her. He kissed her hand before follow Kadian and Merlin. Crimson rushed to Larka's cheeks as Lancelot disappeared into the street.

-x-

"Arthur, where are you taking me?" Azura asked for the utmost time for she saw nothing but the darkness of the blindfold over her eyes. A gentle breeze blew her hair to the side and she clenched Arthur's hand tightly as they descended down a slope.

"You will see in a moment," Arthur repeated for the tenth time with a soft chuckle. He had left the horse at the top of the ravine to graze.

She could hear the crackling of leaves under their feet as they hurried along. It was only a matter of minutes before Arthur let Azura's arm drop back to her side where it had been when he kidnapped her from an empty corridor in the palace. A cool breeze kissed Azura's cheek as the darkness was slowly lifted away from her pretty blue eyes.

A ruby blanket lay on the grass several feet from the bank of the river that snaked through the wood around Camelot-that was standing majestically to the west. There was a basket resting on the edge of the blanket basking in the amber gaze of the fiery sunset. Upon the calm, turquoise surface reflected the flames of the horizon like a giant mirror.

"Arthur." Azura was lost for words as she looked out at the jaw-dropping sight. A faint breeze rippled the water's surface and tiny, dark waves curled over on the bank. Arthur moved to stand beside her and stretched an arm around her, watching the reds and blues mingle together on the water's surface.

"I knew you'd like it," he said softly and lead her over to the blanket where they sat, side-by-side.

"Like it? I _love _it. I haven't seen anything like this since..." She paused, as if catching a slip of the tongue; Arthur could see the anguish that over came her eyes. Azura shook the memory away, "For a long time."

Arthur reached over and removed two silver goblets and a bottle of blush wine from the basket. He filled both goblets and handed one to Azura with a kind smile. She returned his smile as her cheeks faded to a shade of pink, near the colour of the rosé wine. As she took a sip, she was fascinated by its reminiscent grapefruit taste that loomed over the other sweet, fruity flavours.

Her head fell gently against his shoulder and his arm reached across her back to hold her. It relaxed her to be away from everyone who's gaze made her fall back upon the feeling of being the reason everything slipped through her delicate fingers. It was hard to keep those emotions from surfacing and sometimes she would weep in her chambers throughout the night because it was hard to come to terms with loss.

They sat there, sipping at the sweet wine, watched the sun gradually dip behind the darkening horizon. Occasionally, a gentle gale would sweep across the river. It was difficult to start a conversation and with each attempt, Arthur ended up sipping the wine. It was not that there was awkwardness, but it was hard to discuss anything that did not relate to Camelot or that would bring up any painful memories of the past.

"So... the weather's nice," Arthur said gently, relieved that he broke the silence between them.

"...what?" Azura replied baffled as she nearly choked on the last bit of wine in her glass.

"The weather. It's nice and warm, not too hot, y'know?" He stated upholding himself. Carefully, he set his goblet onto the edge of the blanket for it was empty.

"Arthur," Azura sighed, lifting her head off his shoulder to meet his innocent gaze, "you're an idiot."

Arthur's head dropped as he chuckled softly. "You can't call me that," he joked defeated.

Azura shook her head and set her goblet down. She grinned then, and looked him in the eye. "What are you going to do about it?"

He pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers as the last ray of sunlight faded away into darkness.

-x-

A stiff morning breeze shifted Kadian's light hair as she stood with Merlin and Lancelot in the training grounds. They were waiting to introduce Lancelot to Arthur and to proceed onto the second stage of their devious plot. Kadian had wondered where Arthur and Azura disappeared to the previous evening, but curiosity killed the cat and Kadian kept her questions to herself, fearing the answer. They watched as Arthur called out numbers and the swordsmen before him moved according to next strike in the sequence.

"Alright, that's enough for today," the prince said after counting up to five several times. Kadian wondered if he knew the next number was six.

The swordsmen sheathed their swords, bowed respectively to Arthur, and cleared out of the training grounds. As the men dispersed, Kadian saw Azura sitting on a bench with her legs crossed as she enjoyed the beautiful morning.

Arthur approached the rack before Kadian, Merlin and Lancelot and slipped his sword into its holder. Kadian pushed Lancelot forward and Arthur looked up at him curiously and seeming uninterested. "Yes?" Arthur asked.

"Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria," Lancelot replied and dipped his head respectively; it was evident in his voice how nervous he was.

Glancing at Kadian and Merlin, Arthur walked around the rack that contained all his weapons and stood before the tan-skinned man. "Lance-_a-lot_," he said taunting as he studied the man's posture in his mail and orange tunic. "My sister mentioned you; I guess I have to thank you for saving her life. Got your seal?"

"Sire." Lancelot replied and bowed as he held the roll of parchment toward Arthur. With a smirk, the prince rasped a hand against Lancelot's face and knocked him to the ground. Kadian gasped slightly and glared at her brother.

"Sluggish reactions. On the battlefield you would be dead by now," Arthur justified as he turned to walk away. "Come back when you are ready."

Lancelot leapt to his feet like the blow was just the touch of the wind. "I am ready now, sire," he said sternly and Arthur spun around, looking him over again.

"You are, are you?" Arthur asked and Lancelot nodded readily. Turning again, Arthur stated, "You can start by cleaning out the stables." Lancelot glanced over at Merlin, who had a wide smile on his face and gave him two thumbs up since he no longer had to muck the stables out.

Kadian turned, folding her hand into Merlin's, and went to follow Lancelot from the training grounds. She stopped, however, as she saw a slim figure standing in the shadows of a black cloak. Instantly, she recognized Larka McAlister. The nobleman's daughter did not seem amused with Arthur's instructions and glared at him as she disappeared into the shadows behind her.

Hearing her brother's voice and a giggle, Kadian diverted her attention to the centre of the training field and nudged Merlin's side.

"How did you..." Arthur was baffled as he looked from Azura to the rack with his weapons and back to Azura; she held his sword and sheath in her hands.

"Talk about sluggish reactions," Azura grumbled, shrugging. Kadian and Merlin exchanged glances with Lancelot; neither of them had seen Azura get up from her seat on the bench and take Arthur's sword from the rack before them.

"Come on, you are the prince of Camelot. You should be able to get your sword back from a little _girl_ like me," Azura taunted, hugging the sword against her chest with a bright, encouraging smile.

Lancelot watched intrigued as Azura leapt back as Arthur reached for his sword. The prince lunged forward and forward again, only to miss grabbing the sheath by a few inches as Azura moved around him without a care in the world. Azura was laughing too, enjoying the fact that Arthur was failing like the other three of the swordsmen the past month. "How does she do that?" he whispered to Kadian as his eyes fought to follow Azura as her pace quickened with Arthur's.

"The swordsmen train differently in Luthrembel. Her brother taught her so she could protect herself; a bow and arrow are useless in close combat," Kadian explained and grinned, amused that Arthur struggled to keep up with Azura.

Arthur stepped forward with his right and swept his left forward as Azura slid around him. Azura fell to the ground and grabbed hold of Arthur's collar, taking him down with her. Laughing, she rose to sit on her knees and held the sheath to her chest, breathing heavily. "Alright, you win," she smiled and placed the sword on the ground beside his head.

Kadian turned around and pushed Merlin and Lancelot forward. "And this is our cue to leave."

"Why?" Lancelot replied and gazed over his shoulder as Arthur pulled Azura on top of him, kissing her deeply. It could have been a sinful kiss, Lancelot thought.

"Er, well... Go muck out the stables!" Kadian stated.

-x-

Kadian and Merlin were laughing as they entered the physician's chamber. Gaius sent them to work, mixing up remedies for those in need of medicine within the city. Kadian supplied the ingredients while Merlin churned them together in a wooden bowl as Gaius instructed them and praised them for taking Lancelot's situation well. As time passed by without a care, Kadian bid farewell to Gaius and kissed Merlin's lips softly before leaving. Lancelot passed through the doorway as Kadian opened it to leave; she was gone before Gaius could interrogate her as well.

Merlin looked at Lancelot as he stiffly moved through the room with dirt and dung smeared on his cheeks and ragged tunic. "How did it go?" he grinned.

Lancelot looked at him, grunted, and proceeded into Merlin's chamber's to wash and put on some fresh clothes. Merlin returned to churning ingredients in the bowl before him, purposely avoiding Gaius' death stare to his right. However, he succumbed and stated, "He found work at the stables."

"Ah, I see," Gaius nodded dismissively and shifted his gaze to the open book before him. A moment later he raised his eyes again and stared at Merlin quizzically, studying his horribly-hidden guilty expression. "And the truth before I lose my temper," the physician demanded.

Merlin's attention moved back onto the ingredients in the bowl, shivering at Gaius' stare. "He's trying out for the knights," he sighed, busying himself with the ingredients.

"The first code of Camelot has never been broken for any man. What have you done, Merlin?" Gaius exclaimed, stepping close to him and taking the bowl from his grasp.

"I didn't do anything... Kadian bent the rules... a little," Merlin protested, babbling again as he started to panic.

"Oh, don't bring Kadian into this; your name is written all over this. You _bent_ the rules, using magic?" Gaius pressed with his temper rising.

"It was more than a trick than actual magic," Merlin stated guiltily; he knew Gaius would not blame Kadian for this, or anything.

Gaius shook his head. "You're magic is not a toy. It is not for you to use or abuse as you see fit. Why did you do it?"

"Because I owe Lancelot my life and Kadian's. I'm paying for that debt the only way I can, by giving him the opportunity he deserves," Merlin retorted, turning and stalking toward the physician. "If you want to punish me for it, go ahead."

-x-

In a quaint house outside of the castle, Sir Anthony McAlister and his daughter sat having supper in silence. Larka had been scolded for sneaking off earlier that day and now she did not want to speak to her father at all, even when he asked for an explanation. If she had told him that she had went to watch a man on his first day training to be a knight, her cheek would have felt the back of her father's hand. However, Larka could not help the force that pulled her over to the shadows of the training ground. There had been something in Lancelot's husky voice that persuaded her to disobey her father's demands.

In Sir McAlister's eyes, the man that won his daughter's hand would be brought into nobility and be given the opportunity to reach the king. Anthony was one to put his duty before his family, and his duty was to protect the king and Camelot. He forbade his daughter from socializing with men that he did not approve and always had her dress snug to conceal her flesh from watching eyes. These laws had been enforced even more since his wife died mysteriously on their journey toward Skara Brae; all he had left now was his daughter.

"Larka," Sir Anthony said firmly, "I ask you once more, why had you disobeyed me?"

Larka's eyes did not meet those of her father. "Father, I ask for your forgiveness without an explanation. I see no sense in you getting angry over this silly matter."

"Larka, I demand an explanation. Were you with a man?" the knight pressed, placing his utensils on the table beside his bowl.

"No, father, I was not _with_ a man," Larka sighed, placing her utensil down as well and wiping her face clean with the cloth on her lap. "If you must know, I ventured over to the training grounds to... get a feel for what you are trained to do. I fear that one day you won't return home at sunset for supper."

Sir McAlister rose to his feet, obviously seeing her lie. "I do not appreciate being lied to, Larka. Whoever he is, I forbid you from seeing him again. If I catch you, there will be serious consequences. Am I understood?" he scowled, his dark brown gaze fixed on his pretty daughter.

"Yes, father, I understand," Larka replied, flinching slightly at his angered tone.

Sir Anthony nodded his head before retiring to his chambers for the evening. Larka watched the door shut behind her father. The side of her nose twitched as her fury increased within her. Yet another thing was banned from her. He might as well ban me from breathing, Larka thought as she slowly began to finish her supper.

-x-

Merlin sat in Kadian's chamber late that evening with the flame-like sunset dripping into her chamber from the open window. The time they had together was rare to come by, especially with Lancelot staying in Camelot, and they cherished every moment they had. "You know, Gaius is saying that you've been humming," Kadian smiled from her seat on her bed.

Merlin had pulled up a chair next to the bed, not wanting to get caught if anyone were to walk in, and shook his head. "I haven't!" he protested.

"That's not what _I_ heard," Kadian smiled with a laugh. "I find it cute, Merlin. Don't be ashamed."

Merlin laughed and nodded his head. He was guilty of humming his heart's desire ever since their first kiss that faint day. Gaius threatened to poison his dinner once, but even death could not stop him. Every day, Merlin's thoughts have been about Kadian, the gown she wore, her sapphire-like eyes, and her enchanting smile. He leaned in for a kiss and she gave him what he wanted, pulling him onto the bed with her.

Then, Kadian could sense something in his kiss, certain reluctance and she pushed him away. "What is it, Merlin? What's on your mind?" she asked.

His head shook. "It's nothing," Merlin said, caressing her cheek with his hand.

"You're lying to me, Merlin," Kadian replied, raising an eyebrow.

Merlin sighed, he knew that it was impossible to keep things from her. "I just forgot again, that's all," he stated, shaking his head like it was nothing.

"It happens to me too," Kadian admitted, looking away from his dreamy eyes that captured her with every look and haunted her every thought.

-x-

A day or so went by and Lancelot's training consisted of doing servant work like cleaning out the stables. The day was young and Lancelot sat on a stool, sharpening a dull sword. He remained oblivious to Arthur and Azura who strolled down the street, side by side. Azura turned to a fruit stand when she saw Lancelot a few feet ahead of them and picked up an apple that the merchant graciously gave her for no cost. Arthur's hand slid across her back as he passed her. He grabbed hold of a broom leaning against a wall and tossed it toward Lancelot, who caught it before it slammed against his temple.

Lancelot stood and looked at Arthur, "Would you like me to sweep the guardhouse again, sire?"

"It certainly needs sweeping," Arthur replied, taking hold of a second broom and pulling off the bottom bundle of twigs, "but first, Lance, kill me."

"Sire?" Lancelot asked, puzzled.

"Come on," Arthur said and Lancelot stepped on bottom of the broom and pulled the staff out. "Don't pretend you don't want to. Hell, if I were you, I'd want to."

Arthur held the wooden stick with two hands and watched as Lancelot did the same. "Come on," the prince taunted, waiting for the first move.

Azura bit into the red apple as Lancelot lunged forward and the two wooden staffs clashed in the air with mellow thuds. The wood went high and low and everywhere in the middle before Arthur swung at Lancelot's stomach. Lancelot jumped back in time to avoid being killed. "Come on, Lancelot, you're not beating a carpet!" Arthur mocked, spinning the staff in his hand.

Lancelot came in again, and Arthur fended him off with one-handed. The prince hollowed out his stomach as Lancelot took a swing, and grasped the staff with two hands, swinging at Lancelot's head, causing him to stumble back to avoid being hit. Azura watched the two, somewhat disappointed with their lack of form, but she took another bite of the apple and held her tongue. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Larka watching from her father's side. Both had dark hair, but Sir Anthony's was longer and curled against his shoulders. The older knight seemed impressed with Lancelot's raw skill, even as Arthur shoved him against a cart of hay.

Lancelot ducked under Arthur's arm as the prince went to hit him over the head. From this angle, he could see Larka watching him from the safety of her father's side. A faint smile appeared on both their faces, only to be wiped away by Arthur coming in with weak jabs of the wood, before swinging in overhead with a strong strike. Lancelot blocked and avoided the prince's next moves, grabbing hold of the staff with a hand at each end.

The wooden staves clashed together in the area between their hands, bring ing the fight closer that it had been. At one fumble on Lancelot's part, Arthur checked the wooden staff in Lancelot's hand and slammed the edge of his own staff into Lancelot's gut. Lancelot stumbled back, groaning as the wood slammed against him, but he still kept his weapon high, waiting for Arthur to continue with beating him to the ground. However, Arthur nodded and tossed his staff to Lancelot, who caught it. "Congratulations, Lancelot. You just made basic training," he said as he walked by him.

Larka smiled as Lancelot took the moment to relish in his accomplishment, and kept her expression hidden from her father who gave Lancelot a stern nod as the man turned to place the wooden staves back. Arthur put his arm around Azura as he walked by, claiming his prize for triumphing over Lancelot. But all the merriment came to an end as the warning bell echoed through the walls of Camelot. Arthur's arm dropped from Azura and he ran ahead, with her behind him.

Sir McAlister turned to Larka. "Go straight home and stay there until I return," he said before turning to Lancelot who was collecting his sword from where he had left it. "You, Lancelot, make sure she gets there safely." Anthony did not wait for Lancelot to acknowledge his commands and raced after Arthur toward the gates.

Lancelot nodded as he sheathed the blade. He took Larka by the arm and hurried her through the streets, away from the entrance of Camelot.

-x-

Azura gazed at the horrific sight of men, women, and children stumbling into Camelot with burns on their skin coated with blood and dirt. She had lost Arthur in the crowd and looked around, hearing the muffled cries of a young boy, no older than the age of four, "Mummy! _Mummy!_"

Azura went over to him, dropping the half-eaten, red apple. She knelt before him stricken at the sight of the burns on his cheek and arm. "It's okay," she said, her voice soft and loving, "I am going to help you find your mummy. My name is Azura. What is your name?"

The boy gazed at her delicate face through pale green eyes. Tears were streaming down his charred cheeks as he embraced her, pressing his head against her chest. "Conner," Azura was able to make out through his weeping. Her hand ran through his soot-filled hair, comforting him.

"_Shh_," Azura whispered, lifting the boy to rest on her hip. "Every thing will be alright. We will find your mummy."

"Zu!" Kadian shouted, weaving through the massive crowd. "Gaius needs our help. All of these people are hurt and..."

Conner glanced over at the princess through blood-shot eyes, tears still swimming down the edges of his face. Azura rubbed his back as she nodded to Kadian, "Lead the way."

Sorrow poured into Kadian's eyes as she saw the burns on the little boy. He was too young to deserve any of this. She did not ask any questions and lead Azura through the crowd to where Gaius was stationed, applying ointment to a woman's forehead.

Azura set Conner down and told Kadian to sit beside him to make sure he did not run away. She reached into Gaius' supplies and took out what she needed, quickly mixing up a remedy to ease Conner's pain. As if her mind was read, Lancelot ran up to them, "What happened to these people?"

Gaius looked up from his patient and gazed at Lancelot and Merlin, who was to the physician's left applying ointment to another villager. "Their village was attacked by a winged monster," he answered, telling the woman he was treating that she was all set. Gaius turned his attention to Conner and was pleased to see that Azura knew what she was doing, unlike Merlin who kept asking if he was applying the solution correctly.

Kadian held Conner's hand, rubbing her thumb against the back of it as he winced as the solution seeped into his wounds. "Where is his mother?" she asked Azura, who placed the mixture down and wiped the dirt and dried blood of the boy's face.

"I don't know. He was crying for her in the centre of the crowd," Azura replied, turning to face the swarming villagers. "What are we dealing with?" she asked openly, racking her mind to bring forth an image of the monster, but no photograph surfaced. "I'd be able to name it if I saw it myself."

"Maybe I could help," Kadian offered, brushing Conner's hair out of his face and away from the burn on his cheek. "I... we encountered it some days passed."

"_Mummy!_" Conner cried, sliding off of his seat and running over to a woman who cried his name over the crowd. She embraced him tightly gazing over at Azura and Kadian who smiled happily at the sight. The woman lifted the small boy into her loving arms, speaking to him to cease his weeping.

Gaius glanced over at the mother and son and then turned to Azura and Kadian. "Go on, I can take over from here," said the physician as he reached for the remainder of the mixture Azura had created for the boy.

"Are you sure, Gaius?" Kadian asked, rising to her feet as Azura still gazed at all the injured with sorrow-filled eyes.

"Yes," he said, moving on to his next patient.

Kadian took Azura by the wrist and pulled her away, into the castle and into the library.

-x-

Geoffrey of Monmouth glanced up from his work to see who had entered his dominion and rolled his eyes when he saw it was Camelot's princess and Azura; this was becoming an everyday occurrence for them. They sat at one of the benches, retrieving about five books from the shelves prior, and flipped through page after page. Dust rose into the air and Azura started to sneeze uncontrollably. "Uh..." she groaned, stepping away from the open book. "What did you see?"

"The monster was tall. It was coated in black feathers with large wings, a yellow beak, and large, piercing gold eyes. Half of it was that of a lion, the rest was of an eagle," Kadian replied as her eyes began to water from the excess dust. "I'll never forget it."

Azura sighed, stroking the open page. "I do not think that this thing is a normal creature," she stated.

"Are you saying that it is," Kadian replied and lowered her angelic voice, "_magical_?"

Azura nodded, shutting the open book and tossing it onto the pile that they collected. "If so, we will not be able to identify it using the books in this sad excuse for a library," she sighed, rubbing her tearing eyes.

"Uther got rid of all those books. Where..." Kadian replied.

"Try books on legends and myths. I have some up in my chambers for my leisure time," Azura informed. "Those aren't banned, remember."

"You have leisure time?" Kadian joked. Azura scoffed and elbowed her in the gut.

-x-

Later that day, after the commotion in the streets had faded into a soft murmur, Uther and his son walked down a vacant hall overlooking the villages from the recently attacked village as they looked for a place to reside for at least the evening. Arthur had changed into his chain mail with his swords strapped across his waist. "I would track this thing if I could, father, but I can't track a creature through the air," the prince stated, walking at his father's side.

"You don't have to," Uther replied. "First Greenswood and now Willowdale. The beast is heading south, toward the mouth of the valley."

"To Camelot," Arthur sighed.

"Greenswood and Willowdale are northeast of Camelot. If we are lucky the beast will fly by. No matter, we must be prepared. Has Azura come across anything in her research?" Uther stated, turning to face his son.

"Regrettably, she has yet to," Arthur answered. He knew that it was partially his fault since she had been spending more time with him rather than the stacks of books she was to search through. "She is trying her hardest. She is but one person."

"Then she must try harder. Restrain yourself if you must, this _thing_ will be stopped. No more innocent people will be harmed if I have any say in the matter," Uther grumbled before stalking back into the depths of his castle.

Arthur stared after his father, thinking about the words that were said. Azura was like a drug and it would take a lot more than his father's words to break that addiction.

-x-

Kadian sat in Gaius' chambers that evening, joining Merlin and Gaius for dinner. At least they were better company than Uther and Arthur. They sat and laughed at each other's stories. Merlin found some of the stories about Arthur as a child amusing. All the merriment stopped when the door swung open and Lancelot raced inside with a gleeful smile. Kadian and Merlin jumped to their feet, alarmed by the wood slamming against the stone wall. "What is it?" Kadian asked with Merlin's voice following her own.

"My test..." Lancelot panted, catching his breath from running from the foyer of the castle. "It's been moved up to the morning!"

"Already? It's only been a few days," Merlin exclaimed, running over to shake hands with Lancelot in congratulations.

"My brother must really like you, Lancelot," Kadian smiled, giving Lancelot a small hug. "You will do fine, tomorrow."

"Thank you," Lancelot replied, stepping away.

Gaius set a concerned stare on Lancelot. He was both proud of him and disappointed that he had to lie in order to fulfil his dream. "Congratulations, Lancelot," the old physician said, getting to his feet to clean out his bowl.

Lancelot met his stare and felt guilt sweep over him, knowing that Gaius was thinking the same thing that was haunting him: how long was this charade going to last?

"Lancelot, why not join us for a spot of supper? You must be ravenous from working all day," Kadian offered, returning to her seat and picking up a piece of bread that she had been munching on.

"Er, I can't," Lancelot replied, gracious for the offer. "I just came to tell you."

"Well, don't stay out too late, Lancelot. You must be well rested if you wish to pass your test in the morning," Gaius stated, raising an eyebrow at Lancelot as he left the room in a hurry. "I wonder where he is going in such a hurry."

-x-

The sun had finally set, casting every inch of Camelot in shadows. Lancelot prowled through the dimly lit street, staying out of view of the open windows. He gazed around, recognizing this as the place where he and Arthur had fought earlier that day. "Lancelot?" he heard a sweet voice call from the shadows.

"Larka?" he whispered in return, stalking toward the shadows to his right.

A faint figure stepped from the concealment of the shadows. Her dark hair framed her thin face and her brown eyes gazed at Lancelot above a smile. She was wrapped up in a dark cloak and embraced Lancelot as he stepped toward her. "I thought you weren't coming," she whispered, glancing about to make sure they were alone.

"I am sorry that I am late, my lady," Lancelot grinned, kissing her hand softly. "My friends held me longer than I had wanted."

"Well, you are here now. I do not have long. My father will come searching for me if I do not return soon," Larka smiled, folding her hand in his palm. "He told me that your test was moved to the morning. I am happy for you, Lancelot. The stuck-up prince won't know what hit him."

"Yeah," Lancelot smiled, heat rushing to his tanned cheeks. "Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me. You deserve this chance more than anyone, especially after earlier," Larka blushed, pulling him along as she walked down the street.

They continued through the shadows, laughing as they enjoyed the short time they had together. Now they stood a few feet from the McAlister's house, basking in the soft moonlight that kissed their faces. Lancelot held Larka's hands as they stared deep into each other's silver-stained eyes, wishing that this date could last longer than minutes. Larka sighed; her eyes slipping down from his strong face and to the darkened ground as she said that she had stayed long enough. She kissed Lancelot's cheek before strolling over to the door of her home. With one last glance at Lancelot, she entered the darkness of her house and the snores of her father in his chambers.

-x-

"Well, here we are," Arthur said as he walked across the training ground. Many of the knights of Camelot had come to watch Lancelot's test, including Sir McAlister. Azura sat on a stone wall with Kadian, waiting anxiously for the trail to begin and a new knight to be named. Merlin was standing by the sword rack with Guinevere; their eyes beaming at how much Lancelot looked like a knight already. Even Larka had escaped to witness the event and stood far out of her father's sight, smiling as she saw Arthur's defeat in her eyes. "Your final challenge," Arthur continued, walking passed Lancelot, "Succeed: you join the elite. Fail: your journey ends here. Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria, you're time starts now."

As the prince spoke, an hourglass was overturned and the small grains of sand plummeted to the opposite end. The two swordsmen placed steel helmets over their heads and unsheathed their waiting blades. Lancelot swung first, meeting Arthur's blade high in the air. Everyone was on their toes as steel met steel in active blurs. High, low, and high again the swords sliced through the air only to meet their match.

"He's good," Azura commented in Kadian's ear, impressed by Lancelot's skill. "He's the one that saved you and Merlin's life, correct?"

"Yes," Kadian replied, her eyes beaming as Lancelot blocked another swing from her brother. "He deserves this chance more than anyone."

Arthur leapt back, avoiding a blow to the stomach and came forward with another set of swings, which met the sword wielded by his opponent. Lancelot brushed passed Arthur's blade and rasped his sword against Arthur's helm, pushing the prince back. Arthur ducked under Lancelot's sword as it _whoosh_ed through the air, but the ambitious swordsmen turned and met the prince's next blow with his sword. Lancelot stepped in close, swinging his sword as hard as he could, hoping to overpower the only person standing in his way of catching his dream. Arthur's sword held Lancelot's down and a fist came up underneath Lancelot's chin, throwing the swordsman onto his back with his eyes shut.

Kadian sighed and her head dropped into her lap as those watching shook their heads at the man's defeat. Larka's hands rose to her lips, shielding her voice from echoing through the silent ground. Arthur stabbed his sword into the soil and tossed his helmet aside as he approached the fallen Lancelot. "Shame," he said disappointed and bent down to take hold of the flag around Lancelot's waist.

It happened so quickly, everyone took second glances to make sure their eyes were working properly. Lancelot swept Arthur's feet and towered over the prince with sword in hand. "Do you submit, sire?" he asked with the point of the blade eyeing Arthur's exposed throat.

A grin stretched across Azura's face and Kadian jumped to her feet, overwhelmed with shock. Two guards ran over and grasped Lancelot by the arms, pulling him away from the prince as he rose to his feet, grabbing his sword from the ground. "On your knees!" he growled, pressing the point of his sword against Lancelot's chest.

**To be continued...**


	7. Episode Six: Larka

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In the land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy, his name: _Merlin_...

"Arise, Sir Lancelot, knight of Camelot," Uther Pendragon decreed as he tapped the sides of his sword against the broad shoulders of the man before him. It had been a long ceremony and in the end, the courageous man who saved the princess and Merlin from the monster was granted the knighthood he desired.

Kadian, garbed in a magnificent blue gown bedecked with glistening gemstones, watched proudly as her friend rose from his knees at the king's instruction. To her left stood Arthur with his arms crossed at his chest; he was still annoyed that he had been beaten. But, he applauded with the rest of the gathered and was glad to have another worthy swordsman as part of his knights.

However, one set of callused hands came together half a beat slower than the rest. Sir Anthony seemed the most spectacle of Lancelot's triumph and watched the new knight with one eyebrow raised. He was one of the eldest knights, nearly Uther's age, and he undoubtedly had the same question in his mind as the King.

Lancelot bowed his head graciously as Uther stepped forward and walked with him between the two rows of knights that applauded behind him. As the knights turned to converse with those around them, Uther rested a hand on Lancelot's shoulder and stated knowingly, "Your father would be proud."

"Yes," Lancelot acknowledged with a waning smile and turned to face the king as he stopped, letting his hand fall from Lancelot's shoulder.

"I have not seen Lord Eldred in many years, far more than I remember." Uther paused and set a quizzical stare on Lancelot's calm, yet ecstatic expression. When he spoke again, his voice was grim and prying, "Last time I saw him, he only had four sons."

Lancelot lost his gleeful expression, but collected himself quickly. "Well..." He paused, unsure of what to say; had the king seen though the rouse? Meeting the King's wondrous stare, Lancelot said, "Here I am."

"Indeed, you are," Uther nodded with a thunderous chuckle. Replacing a firm hand on the man's shoulder, he added, "Enjoy the celebrations." With that, he turned away and let his son and his knights take Lancelot to await the night's party.

Kadian turned to Merlin, who had been behind the royal family, and smiled; he returned her smile and stepped toward the side alcove. Then, their smiles faded as Uther beckoned over a maidservant and instructed her to bring Lancelot's seal of nobility to Geoffrey of Monmouth for his opinion. There is no way he can deem it false, Kadian thought hopefully as she went toward the alcove.

Merlin shut the door behind, blocking Uther's bass voice from there ears. There was no one in the adjacent corridor and he leaned close to her and whispered, "We have nothing to worry about."

"I hope you're right," Kadian sighed and kissed his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer, not caring that her father was in the next room. They had not had time for themselves in days and these scarce moments did not dent the loneliness created by being apart.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Merlin back; a maid passed by carrying a bundle of sheets in the direction of the King's chamber. Looking at the floor, Merlin combed his fingers through his shaggy hair. "There's always something, isn't there?" he asked and lifted his gaze.

"Unfortunately," Kadian frowned. Merlin rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, meeting her serene gaze.

"Let's continue this later," he said as a promise, "at the party."

"Alright," she replied hesitantly for she contemplated kidnapping him for the rest of the day. And, Merlin felt the same way, wanting to bypass all his duties and run off to somewhere alone; a place where no one would find them; where no one could tell them "no" to magic.

"Until then," he smiled as he reached up with a tender hand and brushed a thin strand of her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Then, sweeping his gaze across her face, he turned and vanished down the corridor.

-x-

As Kadian roamed the bustling corridors of the palace, a book was tossed through the air and she leapt back. The text landed with a hollow thud. Bending down, she lifted the book in to her arms and read the engraved title on the leather spine: _Legends of the Forest_. Kadian shook her head and sighed as she turned to see which chamber she was standing before. Another, heavy sigh rolled off her lips when she saw Azura sitting at her desk through the open window.

"What did I do to deserve such a _brutal_ attack?" she asked as she carried the book in to the brightly illuminated chamber. The curtains were drawn back and the window was open, letting a soft gale sweep across the floor. A vase of white roses stood on the night stand to the bed's right, the velvet petals yellow with the sun's tender kiss. The sheets lay untouched on the bed with the pillows lying peacefully against the headboard.

Azura looked over at Kadian as she hovered over an open text. Inadvertently, she flipping the page as she replied, "Sorry. Uther is getting anxious; neither Gaius or myself have concluded this creature's origin."

"How long have you been at this?" Kadian wondered as she crossed the chamber and rested the book on the top of the leaning pile at the foot of the desk. She eyed the page Azura was quickly scanning, seeing an image of an impressive sketch of a dragon. Azura sealed the book and placed it on the pile, picking up another.

"Since our conversation yesterday," Azura stated as she started through the next book of legends. "I took a break to see Lancelot's test; he's a good fighter, clever too."

"You haven't slept, have you?" Kadian asked, reading over Azura's shoulder as she went through page after page, glimpsing at the drawings the aged-yellow parchment held. There were several pages where there was only lines and lines of words.

"No. I haven't been able too after seeing the injuries on those people." Azura grumbled with her voice ringing with sympathy; she stroked her arm as if she was soothing the burn that had been there. "I've looked through so many legends, I think I can recite every myth on dragons and fairies."

Kadian put a firm hand on the current page Azura flipped to, getting dizzy from how fast the pages rose and fell onto each other. "Enough of this boring research, it can wait until the morning. We have a celebration to go to," she stated and slid the volume off the table and onto the tower of books. The tower leaned sharply to one side and fell dramatically, spilling sheets onto the floor.

-x-

Soft music loomed over the many voices of the celebration for the new knight of Camelot. Lancelot sat next to Arthur on a table in the centre of the hall, each with a pint of ale in hand, just talking and laughing. The joy he felt could not compare to any other emotion he had felt in previous days. It surpassed the glee he felt when his training first began and the grief and sadness he felt as a small boy when he watched his entire village burn down to ashes. Finally, his life's ambition was complete: he was a knight of Camelot, the greatest honour he could ever achieve.

Across the way, Merlin stood beside Gaius and watched Lancelot proudly. He was eagerly waiting for Kadian to join the celebration so they could continue where they left off in the alcove. "Look at him, Gaius," he said haughtily, motioning toward Lancelot with his finger, "does Lancelot not deserve this moment?"

"I never said he didn't. But destiny and deserves are not the same thing," Gaius replied wisely as he looked up at Merlin. "You played god, Merlin. You sent him on a path of your choosing. Tonight, you have brought him triumph, but who knows what the future will hold."

Merlin looked from Lancelot to Gaius and lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah... I don't know what it said on your invitation, but on mine it said: _celebration_."

Gaius chuckled and placed the cup he held on the table before them. "Point taken," he said with a curt nod. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a slim figure enter the hall from a the stairwell to their right. "Don't come back too late."

"I won't..." Merlin's voice faded away unconvincingly as his eyes fell upon Kadian.

She wore a gown of soft lavender silk that was held up by a single strap that reached across her shoulder. The skirt was seductively, form-fitting and the bodice was ruffled where the lavender seemed to be a different shade in the light. Her light-blonde hair fell onto her shoulders with two curls on either side of her beautiful face. She smiled as he stepped forward to greet her. Her eyes were lined with black and shadowed with a soft shade of lavender that complimented her face and dress, but her lips were an alluring crimson that tempted Merlin to kiss her right there, in front of every one.

"Merlin, you're staring," Kadian laughed blushing as she moved Merlin's face to hers, pecking his lips softly and inconspicuously.

As Arthur half-listened to Lancelot, he looked up suddenly and nearly choked on his ale. His eyes followed the slender curve of Azura as she gracefully descended down the staircase in the near alcove. Her hair was in a messy bun with several golden strands flowing radiantly before her face. Her gown was ravishing and utterly seductive in the way its pearl silk clung to her teasing curves. It was inlaid with sparkles that wrapped around her like a shimmering sash. The top cut low across her chest, noticeably bringing out one of her most prominent features. Her mother's armlet was on her right arm, glistening with its recent polish. She smiled sweetly at him as she crossed the chamber with her hands behind her back.

"Here comes trouble," the prince mumbled as Larka McAlister and Azura passed each other in the centre of the chamber. Their eyes met in a heated fashion, scanning each other with hatred, and continued on their merry way. Arthur glanced at Lancelot who did not comment; the new knight was following Larka with his eyes as she walked by her father who watched suspiciously from the back corner, sipping at the drink in his hand.

"Her name is Larka McAlister," Arthur stated as he went to sip his ale.

"I know," Lancelot replied wit his cheeks burning faintly. "We've met."

"Have you now?" Arthur studied Lancelot, cocking a quizzical eyebrow; then, he nodded. "Lucky you. Anthony usually strikes down anyone that goes near her."

"So I have heard," Lancelot grunted, sipping at his ale. "What about her, there?" he added as he motioned toward Azura with his finger. She was reaching for a drink from one of the servants that weaved through the crowd.

"Go anywhere near her, I'll kill you," Arthur chuckled with a grin as she slowly swerved through the crowd toward them. She brushed a delicate hand against his cheek as she went by him, smiling softly and alluringly.

Lancelot refrained himself from commenting and downed the rest of his ale.

Across the chamber, Kadian grabbed Azura by the arm and spun her around. Azura looked up and down Kadian with curiosity and asked, "What?"

Kadian motioned toward the cup in Azura's hand. "What number is that?" Kadian asked sternly.

"My first," Azura replied aggravated and gripped the brass cup tightly; she understood why Kadian was asking. "Honestly."

Kadian gazed at her with a prying glare, trying to sense if Azura was lying or if she was telling the truth. "Alright," she relented hesitantly. "But, no more than two." She grimaced at how mother-like she sounded.

"It's a party, Kadian. Lighten up," Azura smiled and took a long sip of the ale; she grinned as the liquid trickled down the back of her throat, burning pleasurably. "I _know_ my limits." The chamber was crowded, barely any room to manoeuvre through the mingling guests. Azura met Arthur's gaze for a brief moment and she smiled faintly.

Nearby, Merlin was speaking to Guinevere; they were pleased that their "nobleman" had successfully become a knight. Their conversation went astray and Merlin asked teasingly, "For argument's sake, if you had to: Arthur or Lancelot?"

"But I don't have to and I never will," Guinevere laughed, cheeks burning.

"Come on, Gwen, you're no fun," Merlin sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Arthur, definitely," Azura said with a laugh as she walked passed them, vanishing into the crowd.

"Lancelot, hands down," Kadian laughed; Merlin stared at her perplexed. She laughed. "What? It's for the sake of argument."

Merlin placed his empty cup on the tray as a waiter walked by. He reached for the full cup, but it was snatched before he could take hold of it. Kadian put the cup to her lips and swallowed the ale as it filled her palette. "Yum," she smiled, wrapping her arm around his and taking his hand.

Arthur's hand slammed against the table that he and Lancelot had sat on. Everyone in the room fell silent and turned their sight onto the prince as he stood, holding his cup of ale in the air. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, garishly in Larka's eyes, "please join me in a toast to our new recruit." He reached down and grabbed Lancelot under the arm, pulling him to his feet. "To our new knight of Camelot: Sir Lancelot!"

Hands came together and drinks were held in the air as the guests chanted Lancelot's name. The hall erupted with the cheer until the minstrels began to play merrily. As the guests returned to their mingling, Arthur turned to Lancelot and advised, "Go and talk to Larka." Larka was leaning against the back wall with arms crossed against her chest.

Without given Lancelot a chance to reply, Arthur leapt off the table and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Lancelot to his dilemma.

Lancelot went to pour the rest of his ale down his throat, but realized none remained and slammed the empty tin cup on the table as he jumped down. It was his celebration and he could risk his head if he damn well pleased. He strolled toward Larka, noticing Anthony McAlister's eyes dart over to him as he greeted the elder knight's daughter. Lancelot kissed her hand softly and Larka's cheeks burned a soft pink.

She wore a bronze, satin gown embroidered on the skirt with mauve ferns; the top was cut so her entire chest was covered. Her curly hair was pinned and tucked away intricately into a wondrous masterpiece on the top of her head that made her chocolate eyes truly pop. "Congratulations, _Sir_ Lancelot," she smiled and avoided her father's gaze as it shifted from Lancelot to her. "I knew you'd beat _him_."

"Thank you," Lancelot said graciously. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am now," she smiled sweetly and placed her delicate hands on his shoulders.

"Lancelot," a voice called from behind. Lancelot was turned by the hint of warning in the voice and saw Sire McAlister standing there, eyes looking at him and Larka. "May I offer my congratulations. It has been a long time since I saw a man fight with a sword as well as you did. I was very impressed."

"Thank you, sir," Lancelot replied and dipped his head in thanks as his hopes for spending at least part of the evening with Larka shattered. "Arthur is a strong warrior; it felt more like luck."

"Indeed his is. I see that you remember my daughter, Larka," Sir McAlister continued dismissively as he glanced at his daughter; she was giving him an angry stare. "I trust that you will make sure that she returns home not too late." He met Lancelot's stare and ever so hesitantly, he turned and walked toward the exit with one glance back at his daughter.

Kadian glanced over at Lancelot and Larka, seeing them beam at each other from the subtle approval from her father. She nudged Merlin's side and slurred the sounds as she spoke, "Lan_ss_elot triumph_ss s_again." Merlin smiled and slung an arm around her waist. He, too, was also beginning to feel the effects of the ale.

However, they were not the only two feeling the effects of the alcohol. In the alcove above the staircase that led into and out of the celebration, Arthur held Azura against the wall, his lips crushed against hers. They were so soft, so warm and ever so intriguing like the velvet petals of the white roses in her bedchamber. Just one taste was not enough for him. Ever since he first tasted that sweet, exhilarating taste, he was addicted, always craving more and more; until he could not control his lust any more.

His arms snaked up her back, pressing her as close to him as possible with his chain-mail in the way, and pulled the barrette from her hair, letting the golden locks tumble onto her shoulders. A hand shot to the door handle, turning it, and pushed the wood through the archway. Arthur pulled her along, still lip-locked, through the vacant corridors where only the dwindling firelight in their path. The door to his chambers swung open and sealed the two inside, being locked as Arthur leaned back against it, releasing his little elf from his tight grasp.

Azura jumped up and sat on the table, pushing the plates and objects off, and let her head roll back as she gazed around in a daze. Her dazzling, blue eyes circled around the room until they found Arthur once more, tossing away his wretched mail and the padding beneath it into the corner. He left the remaining red tunic on and wrapped his arms around Azura again, securing her face to his. His hands trembled as they slowly scaled up the silk and to her soft, bare back, but were pulled away. He stumbled back as she slid off the table.

His balance swayed from side to side until he fell onto the ground and leaned back against the the foot-board of his bed. He reached up with his arms and pulled her down and onto him, as she went over. She brushed her hair out of her face as her lips slowly descended down upon his again. The silk, so smooth beneath his fingers, steadily slithered down her her fine skin. He held her as close as possible, feeling her warmth seep through the red fabric. Her docile fingers slipped through his golden mane, locking behind his head where they pulled him forward and on top of her.

She clawed at his tunic, pulling at it in hope that it would magically disappear. Arthur took the hint and lifted the tunic over his head, parting their lips for no more than a moment. Her exposed flesh trembled beneath his fingers as they danced across her flawless, unmarked body while hers trickled down the muscles on his back. He pulled her up, pressing flesh against flesh, as he tossed her gown out of his way. He could taste the liquor masked by her sweet taste; the influence of it.

Azura's fingers wrapped around the edge of his trousers, stopping there as Arthur's lips fluttered away from her soft, velvet lips. He took this moment to gaze at the beautiful masterpiece she was. He found himself fascinated with the way her curves and features shaped his body; each edge was sharp, dramatizing the true, natural beauty there was. It was like she was a figment of his wild imagination, a trick of the light, or just a thing of magic.

He reached back and took hold of one of her hesitating hands. Her paw was tiny and fragile compared to his as he slowly let it drop to the floor, feeling the other tighten it grip on his trousers and begin to tug.

_Stop,_ a familiar voice whispered and Arthur froze, brushing her tugging hand away.

He thought he recognized the deep, concerned voice. He remembered that day when Jaiden threatened his life if he ever looked at Azura, but now he was touching her and for a moment, in his drunken haze, he thought that Jaiden would rise from the dead and smite him.

His blue eyes danced around the room which was beginning to blur as the alcohol started to drain all of the energy built up within each of his muscles. Whoever that voice belonged to had Arthur thinking through his alcoholic haze, maybe _this_ was not the way this connection should be made.

Two soft arms wrapped around his neck, gradually pulling him down as their energy slipped away. With the last ounce of energy the prince had left, he pulled down the quilt from his bed and wrapped it around them. His arms embraced Azura, pulling her bare flesh to him while the chamber faded into darkness, letting them fall into a dreamless slumber.

-x-

_What happened last night?_ she thought as her senses slowly came to. _I can't remember a thing_.

The numbness in her body gradually faded as her muscles stretched. There was something warm against her waist and her eyes shot open. A wall stood before her, one she did not recognize to be in her chambers. She sat up with a jolt, pulling the bed sheets up to her neck. Her head was pounding against her skull, impairing her vision to where she had to squint.

A timid moan echoed through the room as she felt a tug on the sheets. "Kadian?" a voice groaned and then there was silence. "_Kadian!_"

Her head turned and she leapt off the bed, taking the sheets with her. "_Merlin!_" she exclaimed, combing her knotted hair with her fingers.

They just stared at each other, trying to sort through the blurred memory of the night's events. Kadian hesitantly glanced under the sheet around her, fearing that they had gone too far, but a sigh of relief escaped her lips. The lavender gown she wore to the celebration was against her pale skin. "What happened?" Merlin asked shakily.

"I don't..." Kadian murmured.

"The two of you were asleep when I got in," a voice stated amused from the other side of the room. Lancelot was sitting up on the spare cot that was brought into Merlin's bedroom when the man first arrived in Camelot. "I believe we all had too much ale last night."

Kadian groaned as her headache throbbed intensely. "My head kills," she moaned, massaging the sides of her temple; she let the blankets fall to the ground.

Merlin found the strength to get to his feet and nearly tumbled over as he was overwhelmed with a splitting pain in his skull. "Gaius will have... something," he said hoarsely as he pressed a hand to his brow.

Lancelot led the way from the room with Merlin following at his side. Kadian was last to reached the bottom of the small staircase and winced at the brightness of the morning light; the sunlight made her headache worse.

Gaius came forward with two small glasses in his grasp. "Good morning gentlemen. Don't look at it, don't smell it, just down it in one," the physician instructed as he placed the glasses in their hands. He went to turn away, but realized that a third being had stayed in his chambers that evening. "Kadian, how did you come to be in here?" he asked as the two men gagged on the solution he had given them.

"Don't ask, just give me one of those," Kadian replied as she flinched at the pain.

Gaius nodded and walked over to his bench to prepare another mixture. It was bitter and repulsing. Kadian almost spat it back up when the revolting taste was processed in her aching brain.

"Better?" the old physician smiled, taking the three glasses to be washed.

"A bit," Kadian murmured; she was still waiting for the haze to clear from her mind.

"Good," Gaius smiled and turned to Lancelot who had exhaustion written over his face. "I can't have you nodding off first day on the job."

The new knight smiled, remembering that his dream had finally been achieved. Merlin stared at Kadian hoping that something on her would trigger his memory; she stared back, studying him.

The door swung open hastily as two soldiers stormed into the physician's chamber. They grabbed Lancelot by the arms and pulled him toward the swinging door, tightening their grasp as he struggled. "What are you doing?" Kadian demanded angrily; the soldiers seemed to flinch at her voice.

"Orders from the King," one stated and they disappeared with Lancelot.

Gaius gazed at Merlin who carried that concerned glance onto Kadian. They all knew what the King wanted: to convict Lancelot for breaking Camelot's first code. Geoffrey of Monmouth had seen the forgery; it was inevitable, the King had been told.

Kadian rushed from the room, hoping to make it to the throne room to defend Lancelot herself, but as she reached the middle of the corridor, she skidded to a halt. _I can't walk in there dressed in this_, she thought. She scoffed and raced to her chambers.

-x-

"Where have you been!" Morgana exclaimed as she rushed into Kadian's chamber. "I have been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm sorry. I woke up at the wrong end of the castle," Kadian replied as she stripped and changed into her every-day gown. She did not realize what she had said, but Morgana smirked and left the matter alone. "I can't talk right now, Morgana. Uther had soldiers take Lancelot to him. I am afraid that..."

"I'm sorry. It's too late to do anything. Uther has already given the order have him locked in the dungeons," Morgana interrupted; her voice was soft and waning as she spoke. "It was something about breaking the first code. Arthur seemed more upset than Uther."

Kadian tossed her hair brush across the room, shattering a vase that sat on the bureau's surface. "Damn it!" she cursed. Her face was burning red as she clenched her teeth angrily.

Morgana stepped back as Kadian slammed her fists on the desk and swept its contents onto the floor. _I knew this would happen,_ Kadian thought with her brow furrowed slightly, _especially after hearing him tell the maid yesterday. Argh, I should have done something. _

"Kadian... you knew, didn't you?" Morgana asked cautiously and walked toward her. "Why didn't you say something _before_ this all happened?"

"I couldn't! Lancelot saved my life..." Kadian snapped, glaring at Morgana.

"But the code!" Morgana protested.

Kadian stalked forward. "I don't care about the code, or any of the rules set in place by the man that dares to call me his daughter. Lancelot has done nothing wrong. He chased his childhood dream, where's the harm in that," she hissed. Then, as Morgana was lost for words, Kadian ran from the chamber.

-x-

The dungeon's guards remained silent as she stormed by and descended down a flight of stairs. She approached the cell in which Lancelot sat, leaning against the far wall. Merlin was there and was apologizing for pressuring him into taking the false seal of nobility. They both turned to her and watched silently as they waited for her to say something.

"Lancelot..." Kadian managed to say, but her lips pressed together in a firm line. All the steam that had built up when she yelled at Morgana had been vanquished by an invisible force. This was all her fault. If she had not forged the seal and showed it to him, Lancelot would still be able to roam the lively streets of Camelot.

"Both of you, this is my burden to bare and mine alone," Lancelot stated with a curt nod. "I do not wish to be released by you, Kadian. You have done enough for me already."

-x-

Larka sat upon the roof of her house, her father's scolding words replaying in her ears as if they were trapped in an infinite loop. A steady breeze blew her dark hair to the side and her gaze shifted down onto her feet. She was not angry at Lancelot. Part of her had known all along that he was not of noble blood, and she was attracted by that daring side of him. If she could be granted any wish, it would be to rid herself of the noble blood that pulsated through her veins. She was angry with her father, Uther, Arthur, and even Kadian for not doing anything to defend Lancelot; his morals were noble and honourable. But her anger toward the four of them was nothing compared to the hatred she now felt for Azura.

Why was she furious with Azura? The answer was both complicated and simple: Azura still could have anyone whenever she pleased while Larka could not; she had to suffer under her father's orders and stay far away from Lancelot as he rotted away in the palace dungeons. Jealousy brings out the witch of a woman, but not Larka. It woke something inside of her, something that had remained dormant for many years. It was a possessed feeling, one she thought to have abandoned her.

"It is time for my pain to be shared," Larka growled and rose to her feet. She held her hand in the air, reaching for the sky, and spoke the forbidden words, "_Το grupach, erxetai se_ _Camelot. Epithesey_ _Azura Lightwing_!"

No one heard the sounds her lips formed; the street had been filled with spectres. Far in the distance, a shrill cry rose from the woods as a dark blur ascended into the crystal sky.

-x-

Azura cautiously walked into her chamber and hastily shut the door behind her. She had successfully escaped from Arthur's chamber unseen. When they woke, they were face-to-face. Embarrassed, Azura kicked him in the chest and pulled the blankets with her as she stumbled away. Though most of last night was a blur, she could feel his fingers touching her and taste him in her mouth. Then, she had forgiven him and found it rather unfair that she was the only one completely undressed.

Her eyes scanned her chamber, realizing that the room gave off a certain lonely feeling with its bare walls and untouched objects. She remembered her lively chamber in Luthrembel with the white roses intertwined along the ceiling. Shaking those painful thoughts away, she stripped out of her fancy gown and slipped into a simple, white and gold sun-dress that trailed down to her ankles.

The book Kadian had tossed off the desk the day before was lying open on the floor. This caused Azura to curse. Yet again, her studies had been put on hold by a _little_, though she doubted that is was actually "little", distraction. She bent down and lifted up the book on myths, examining the page it was open to. Her eyes widened as she read the passage and gazed at the rough illustration. She read the passed twice to make sure she was seeing correctly.

Marking the page, Azura raced from her chamber with the book tucked under her arm. She had to find Kadian to verify her finding. If she was correct, things were going to get a lot worse before they got any better.

"You!" she shouted as she stopped beside a maidservant who strolled leisurely through the corridors; she held a basket of fresh sheets in her grasp. "Have you seen Princess Kadian?"

"Yes, my lady," the maid replied courteously as she dipped her head respectfully. "I saw her leaving the castle to start her daily rounds."

Nodding, Azura dashed down the hall and nearly knocked several people over as she chased after Kadian's trail. She had heard that Lancelot received knighthood falsely, she did not find it very surprising, and she knew that Kadian was behind the whole thing.

-x-

Azura raced into the lively square, pushing a man out of her way as she dashed down the marble staircase. She saw Kadian crossed the square slowly, gaze to the stone path, and ran over to her, jumping before her. "Kadian!" Azura called, startling Kadian who gasped and stumbled backward. Several of the commoners in the square turned to stare at them, only to return to their mingling when Azura sent them a warning glare.

"What do you want?" Kadian grumbled and looked up at Azura, who seemed half-crazed.

Azura took two deep breaths, calming her insanity before she hastily opened the book to the marked page. "Is _this_ the monster?" she panted holding the open page up for Kadian to see.

Kadian took hold of the book and gazed at the image, examining the fine lines that shaped the creature's body. The drawing had large wings and a long body with a tail, its face had a beak and large, circular eyes. It was a poor drawing, but with each rough curve, Kadian could picture the gigantic monster that nearly ended her life. "This is it!" she exclaimed.

"We're dealing a griffin..." Azura's voice vanished as a booming _skraaww!_ echoed through the square like thunder. "LOOK OUT!" Azura pushed Kadian to the ground as a black body swooped into Camelot, screeching rabidly. The warning bell bellowed behind its screech, warning for all to hide. The beast was soaring toward them with its large, finely-curved talons extended.

As the landed roughly on the stone path, Azura thought fast and tore the lid off of an overturned barrel. She held it tightly before her and Kadian as a shield. The griffin's claws smashed through the hard wood and dug into Azura's forearm. She screamed, unable to pull her arm free. The beast flapped its gigantic wings and it was lifted higher and higher into the air. Kadian reached for Azura as the beast lifted her into the air; she was unable to grab hold and watched helplessly.

Azura could not bear to see the creature's angled face as she rose higher into the air. The townspeople were screaming below her feet as they ran for safety. "Zu!" Kadian shouted and clasped her aching knee for it had slammed against the stone when she was pulled down.

Satisfied with its current altitude, the beast raked its free claws against Azura's body, ripping her flesh off her bones and dripped her crimson blood onto the watching ground below. Her body lurked and arched in attempt to avoid the deathly claws, but the initial wounds were too great and her efforts were rendered useless. The beast's cries rang menacingly and triumphantly in her ears.

Upon hearing the warning bell, Arthur and his knights raced into the courtyard with drawn blades, spears and shields ready to fend off the malicious monster. As the prince called instructions to his men, his voice was drowned out by Azura's agonizing screams; her screams were so loud they boomed over the beast's flapping wings and bloodcurdling screeches. His blues stared feebly as his girl was mauled by the monster they had feared would come to Camelot.

"On me! On me!" Arthur tightened his grip on his spear, unable to pry his stare from the beast; he could could see each crimson drop of her blood plummet to the stone, and it pained him terrible to witness the sight.

The griffin's large, golden gaze met Azura's injured eyes that were filled with her glossy tears. It sealed its massive, mustard beak centimetres from her throat; the sharp edge of stained with her blood. It was a miracle that her last breath had yet to escape her trembling, blood-stained lips.

Breaths heavy in her chest, Azura blinked slowly as it grew more difficult to stay conscious. Her muscles swung idly at her sides, her effort to avoid the beast was thwarted, leaving her with little energy to do anything. In desperation, she had but one resource left to turn to. "_Me apeleutheróste_!" she whispered slowly, careful to pronounce syllable correctly. The banished words rolled over hastily over her trembling lips and stole what energy she had.

Looking up at the gruesome scene, Kadian could hear the tainted whisper beneath the shrieks of those around her. _Did she just...?_ Kadian thought, startled; it had to have been magic, nothing else could explain what happened in the next moments.

The monster blinked, understanding its new command, and slid its curved talons from Azura's mangled flesh; they ebony was slick with blood and with an immense thrust of its limb, the griffin tossed Azura away like a piece of rubbish. Kadian's eyes followed Azura's figure as it soared through the air; then, she gazed about swiftly, seeing a pile of grain sacks resting in a far corner.

Summoning her power, Kadian's irises glowed silver, masking the sapphire shade she shared with her non-magical brother. With the attention of the panicked on the griffin, no one saw the grain sacks shift from the idle rest to beneath Azura's silhouette; she landed heavily and motionlessly on the rough padding with a booming _thud_.

"Defence!" Arthur called as he glanced at his men. Then, he stared up at the griffin as it hovered above them and crushed the remainder of the barrel lid in its talon. The griffin met his glower and cocked its black skull to the side, letting those a shrill _skraaw_. Unaffected by the beast's taunt, Arthur glanced over to Kadian who made her way to where Azura landed, flinching at the pain in her knee; he hoped to see Azura sit up to let him know she was still alive.

Kadian hovered over Azura and her eyes grew wide at the amount of blood that seeped through the white dress and the tiny rivers of crimson that trickled down the side of her face. She shook Azura violently by the shoulders, hoping to rouse her from unconsciousness. "Zu! Come on, Zu, wake up!" Kadian pleaded in hope that her eyes would part. For a second, they did and Kadian smiled at the mystical blue colour; but, Azura's gaze looked absent and drained of life. Her eyes closed.

The griffin squealed and Kadian's sight diverted over to the knights that were in formation, as Arthur had instructed. They were positioned in a demented circle with their shields raised and ready to push the beast away. She looked away as the griffin charged the knights, knocking them over like a row of dominoes. It pushed off the rear-most knight and soared into the air once more, crushing the man's leg as he fell back to avoid taking the beast full square like the rest of his fellow knights.

Kadian stared down at Azura. There was so much blood smeared across the sacks; it was a wonder how a faint pulse was visible on the side of her neck. Kadian gazed around to find anything she could use to press down on the oozing wounds, perhaps stop the bleeding to save her.

A commoner was crouched behind a nearby cart with his eyes glued to the knights as they scrambled to get into another formation; the beast had landed in the square with its talon scrapping across the brick, releasing an eerie _screeeeech_.

"Sir, please, may I borrow your tunic?" The man stared at Kadian dumbfounded. "She will die if I can't stop the bleeding!" Kadian's voice rang over that of the griffin. Hesitantly, the commoner looked from her to Azura and lifted his tunic over his head, tossing to Kadian in the process.

Thanking him graciously, Kadian tore off a tattered, cotton sleeve and wrapped it tightly around the gash on Azura's forearm; the wound seemed mediocre compared the the size of the griffin's talons. "Come on, Zu, don't leave us now," she muttered as she worked, pressing down at the deep gashes across Azura's midsection and chest. The blood was thick and warm beneath her hands, seeping between her fingers as they flexed to keep the fabric down.

Everything and everyone went silent, only the faint beats of their hearts thumping in their ears.

The griffin stared at the knight's of Camelot and blinked as it met Arthur's glower. The prince's eyes told her emotions, the raw and pure disgust and hatred and the lust for the monster's blood to splash like rain on the ground. Slowly, Arthur glanced back at his men as they crouched low to the ground with their shields raised and their blades pointed at the mysterious creature. Sir McAlister was in the back, holding back the dire pain that pulsated through his body from his crushed leg; he would not surrender to injury while that monster was still in his city.

Arthur tightened his grip on the spear as his gaze returned to the griffin. He picked the probable weak points beneath its thick layers of black feathers and exclaimed, "Charge!"

The knights dashed forward, their boots silent against the stone, and jumped back as the monster swiped its front talons in the air, flaring its dark wings to the sides; at their fullest, the griffin's wingspan was four metres wide. Arthur jabbed forward with his spear and the griffin rose onto its haunches, swing at him blindly, but the prince leapt away and the knights ran to his side with their shields ready to push the beast back. Arthur ran forward again, thrusting his spear at the griffin until he was close enough to dig the point of the spear into its flank.

Then as his spear collided with the griffin's hard body, his spear shattered, launching the splinters of wood into the air as the top-half collapsed to the brick, defeated and dead.

Arthur gazed at the broken end of the spear, in shock that his blow was not mortal. With wide eyes, he gazed at the griffin and stumbled back as it rose onto its haunches and lashed the air angrily with its talons. Whirling gales produced by the ferocious wing motions swept Arthur off his feet.

The pressure on Azura's wounds lessened as Kadian looked away and over at her brother. _Not you too..._ she thought panicky; she though the worst as the griffin leapt forward with only a shield between its deathly talons and Arthur's death. From the palace, a soldier rushed down the marble staircase, wielding a torch which he tossed to the ground nearest Arthur.

The prince rolled to his left, avoiding the griffin's talons, and grasped the ignited torch, grinning at the heat that radiated from it. He swung it through the air and the griffin stumbled back to avoid the orange flames. Cautiously, Arthur rose to his feet, swinging the torch before him and slowly stalking forward.

The griffin flared out its wings and leapt over Arthur and into the air, escaping the flames. It took one look down at Arthur and the knights and continued on its way through the air until it disappeared among the white, puffy clouds.

The torch fell to the ground as Arthur turned to his relieved knights. "Get McAlister to the physician and make sure no one else is injured!" he ordered and took one last glance in the direction the griffin departed in. He raced over to his sister and the mangled body of Azura. "Azura?"

"It's no use, I've tried to wake her," Kadian sighed, retracting her hand from the soaked tunic. Both her fragile hands were caked with Azura's blood, trembling in exhaustion and her fear. "She hit her head and lost a lot of blood. We need to get her to Gaius. If anyone can save her, it would be him."

"Can you walk?" Arthur asked, studying the shock in on her face.

"I don't know..."

"Either 'yes' or 'no', Kadian. I can't carry both of you!" Arthur snapped sharply.

"I think so," Kadian replied with a nod.

Arthur nodded and hook an arm in the crook of Azura's legs and the other behind her neck/shoulders. He made sure her head was resting gently on his shoulder as he slowly ascended to his feet and waited for Kadian to get to hers before racing toward the physician's chambers.

-x-

Arthur kicked open the physician's door, starling Gaius as he examined Anthony McAlister's leg. The physician gasped when his old eyes fell on the mangled Azura; it had been many ages since he saw a patient breathing in such a condition. "Put her there," he instructed, pointing to the cot that lay to the right of the chamber, and turned to Anthony. "It isn't broken, probably just a fracture. I will wrap it in a moment."

As Gaius rushed over to inspect Azura, Kadian limped into the chamber and Merlin ran over, catching her as her knee finally gave out after carrying her weight through the corridors. He led her over to a vacant stool and had her sit. "It was the beast, wasn't it?" he asked softly as he gently lifted the skirt of her dress to her thighs; Kadian blushed.

Her knee was red and swollen. "Yes," she replied grimly as she shivered at the recent memory of the haunting claws maimed Azura's fair figure.

"Merlin, I need bandages, some ivy, yarrow, elm and water. Quickly, Merlin!" Gaius called as he pushed Arthur out of the way and taking in the amount of gashes. "Dear god, what creature did this?" He ran a shaking hand over the deep wounds, moving her flesh to see how deep they went and found that several of her insides were torn to sheds; it was a miracle that she still breathed, and it would not remain so if nothing was done soon.

"A griffin," Kadian answered, even though Gaius really was not looking for an answer. "She was about to go to Uther with her discovery when the monster swooped into Camelot."

Merlin ran around the physician's chamber, picking up phials and a bundle of bandages and handing them to Gaius before racing from the chamber to fetch some water. Gaius glanced over at Kadian, Arthur doing the same. "A griffin?" Gaius mused.

"Gaius, can you save her?" Arthur asked warily as he shook his sister's words from his mind; he set his gaze on Azura's face and his eyes glossed with pain. Removing the glove from his hand, he whipping away the river of blood that flowed down her cheek. He did not care about the monster's identity, only that his little angel would live for him to hold her in his arms at least one more time.

"I can not say, sire. She has lost a significant amount of blood." Gaius followed his gaze onto Azura's body and the ugly condition it was in. He could see the suffering in Arthur's eyes and the way the prince's face drooped with disappointment and guilt. "It is a miracle that she is alive now," Gaius replied and rushed to mix the herbs into a paste.

Merlin ran back into the room with a pail of water which he placed beside Gaius. "Is there anything I can do, Gaius?" he asked gently, sweeping his gaze swiftly over Azura.

"Wrap Sir McAlister's leg and get Kadian's knee elevated," Gaius instructed as he added water to his mixture of herbs. He reached for a cloth and dabbed it in his concoction as he turned back to the prince. "Arthur, I am going to need you to leave. My chamber has enough people occupying it at the moment."

"But-" Arthur protested.

"Arthur, don't argue with him!" Kadian shouted as Merlin helped her lift her leg onto another stool. Pain shot up and down her leg, through her spine, and to the base of her skull, so unbearable she nearly screamed. "Father will need to hear your report on the attack. Go after that _bloody_ pigeon and kill it! Don't stand there! _Go!_"

Arthur hesitantly stepped away from Gaius as he began to removed Azura's tattered clothing in order to apply a balm. His sister shouted at him again and he left the chamber with one last hopeful look back at Azura's face, wishing that she would just wake up.

-x-

It was a long while later until Arthur heard anything from the physician about Azura's condition; he could not bring himself to confront the King immediately about the griffin. Once Uther found him, demanding a report of the beast, Arthur followed his father into the throne chamber while on the way he discussed the happenings. Uther seemed rather upset that the creature had injured a ward of the palace, even perturbed. The doors to the throne chamber swung inward as Uther and his son entered.

"You said that your knights were the best in the land, you proved that today," Uther stated as he patted his son proudly on the back; perhaps he could have chosen better words to praise Arthur.

Arthur stiffened and turned to face the King, meeting his beaming, yet subtly hurt, gaze. "All I know is that it is still out there," he grumbled; all he could hear was Azura's screams that begged for her life. She had indirectly pleaded for _him_ to save her and he had failed.

"Then, let's not wait for it. This kingdom has been menaced by the creature for too long. We finish this now," Uther stated fiercely as he circled around his son to sweep his bold gaze across those that had followed.

In the corner of the chamber, the King noticed the court physician standing with his hands folded before his centre. Gaius seemed perplexed with his wrinkled brow slightly furrowed and an uncertain stare that asked for permission to speak.

"Sire, if I may," said Gaius as he stepped forward.

"Gaius?" Uther mused and turned his body to face the physician; he was eager to hear what the physician wished to say.

"I carry a message from your daughter from the Lady Azura. She believes this creature to be a griffin," the old physician said gently; the King seemed intrigued by the odd name. He had heard Arthur mention it during his report.

"A griffin? What's in the name?" the king questioned and stepped toward Gaius intuitively.

"A griffin is a creature of magic," Gaius replied with a low dip of his head.

Uther turned away as he lost interest and shook away the thought. "I do not have time for this, physician."

"It is born of magic, sire, and it can only be killed by magic," Gaius pressed and Arthur shifted his gaze to the ground, thinking over the physician's words that were Azura's.

"You're mistaken. It is a creature of flesh and blood. Arthur proved that today," Uther protested as he placed a firm, praising hand on Arthur's broad shoulder. Arthur seemed to flinch at Uther's touch and rolled his shoulder.

Arthur looked from Gaius to Uther, unsure of what to believe; all he cared was that the monster, magic or not, had attacked Azura and spilt her innocent blood. "I don't know, father, I think there may be some truth in what he says."

"What truth?"

"The griffin was unharmed, sire. Our weapons seemed useless against it," Arthur stated as he remembered how the spear broke against the monster's flank. Azura was injured because of that thing, he could not get the guilty thoughts from his mind; they were haunting him, reminding him of his failure.

"I think not," Uther grunted and walked away from being between the physician and Arthur. As he approached his throne, he turned and faced the people gathered in the chamber; Merlin was hiding in the shadows and several able knights were stationed around the pillars. He stared at Arthur now, studying the wary expression on his face. "It has tasted our steel once and the next time will be its last. When will your knights be ready to ride again?"

"With Sir McAlister unable to ride with us... an hour, maybe two," Arthur replied as he met Uther's stare in disbelief. How could he brush off the information Gaius passed to them? Anything was plausible at this state, but magic was magic; Uther would not hear of it.

"Good." Seemingly pleased, Uther exited the chamber through the rear alcove with several of his personal guard trailing after him.

Once the tension in the chamber filed out alongside the knights and soldiers, Arthur gazed over at Merlin and Gaius, hoping for some good news. "How is..."

"The bleeding has stopped," Gaius stated with a curt node. He walked to the prince who smiled weakly. "However, there has been serious trauma to her skull and she has lost a significant amount of blood. _If_ she makes it through this and wakes up, mind you, I do not think that she will ever be the same Azura that you well know; if she remembers who Azura is." Gaius could see the pain that welled in Arthur's eyes like invisible tears, his lips curved into a frown and he glanced away. "I am sorry, Arthur. It is out of my hands now."

Arthur was lost for words. He could not help but think that what he and Azura did the previous night would be only a fragment of his own memory. Would the faint taste of her in his mouth be the last he would ever have?

_She will never be the same Azura you well know._ The words echoed in his brain like it was a vacant cave, like the one inside the Forest of Balor. Those days had been when their relationship began and Arthur stared to truly understand who Azura was, not only a princess or girl, but a proud woman. "Thank you, Gaius, for what you have done," Arthur breathed as his gaze fell upon the physician. "Can I see her, by chance?"

"Of course, sire," Gaius nodded.

-x-

They entered the physician's chambers as two knights helped Sir McAlister to his feet in order to bring him to his house; he was to sit in bed with his leg up and rest for a week or more. Across the chamber, Kadian rested her head against Merlin's chest with her eyelids heavy; she was listening to the soothing and distracting rhythm of Merlin's heart, counting each beat. The solution Gaius had given her was making her drowsy.

It was then that Arthur saw her lying on the cot where he had placed her. Quilts were draped over her body, keeping her warm from the subtle chill from the open window. The blood on her face had been washed away, leaving her skin unnaturally pale like the flesh of a corpse.

Gaius nodded to Arthur who stood in the doorway stiff as a board, gazing at her from afar. Hesitantly, Arthur crossed the chamber, letting the knights assist Sir McAlister from the room, and knelt beside the cot. He brushed one of the strands of her blonde hair from her face and sighed heavily with guilt. On the right side of her face, Arthur could see where Gaius had stitched.

Kadian watched as Arthur caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and whispered something in her ear before saying to her aloud, "I promise. I will _destroy _the thing that did this to you, no matter what it takes."

He rose to his feet and leaned to gently kiss her forehead; his lips lingered on her skin and when his thought passed, he left the physician's chamber. Kadian watched him leave in a hurry to prepare the knights for a battle that could very well kill them all.

She yawned and gazed over at Azura. "Is it true, Gaius, that the griffin can only be killed by magic?" Kadian wondered sleepily.

"Yes, I am certain of it," the physician replied sorrowfully and turned to face her as she lifted her tired head. "If Arthur rides out against it, he'll die."

"Then, he must be stopped," Merlin stated firmly and rose to his feet to stand before Gaius. "Uther must see reason."

"When magic is concerned, our king is blind to reason," Gaius stated, harshly toward Uther's ignorance. He took several steps toward Merlin and entwined his fingers together. "And yet, magic is our only hope."

"You're not suggesting..." Merlin's voice drifted away as he glanced from Gaius to Kadian and to Gaius again; their gazes were unrelenting, saying what the did not want to.

Gaius nodded. "It is your destiny, Merlin; the true purpose of your magic."

"You saw it Gaius. You both have seen what it can do. I can't go up against that thing," Merlin protested, shaking his head furiously. This was the one thing that he had always been preached to not to do, and now Gaius wanted him to risk his neck to destroy the monster.

"If you do not, Arthur will surely perish," Gaius stated.

"No, no. This is madness," Merlin replied and began to pace across the chamber until, after several minutes, he was before the physician again. His pondering had not found another solution to the lingering problem. "I don't have magic that powerful. There must be another way."

"There is no other way, Merlin."

"Do you even care what happens to me? Go do this, Merlin. Do that, Merlin. Go and kill the griffin while I sit here and warm my feet by the fire, Merlin," he replied, pacing back and forth again.

"Merlin!" Kadian snapped and slowly rose to her aching feet. Her knee gave a slight twinge, but she stayed firm in her stance. "You are the only thing either of us care about in this whole world. But it is not Gaius' destiny or mine to save Arthur. Merlin, I know that you are scared, but this griffin is weak against magic. Perhaps..."

Kadian paused as Merlin rested his gaze onto her, it relaxed slightly in defeat. "Perhaps, if we combine our strength we can destroy it. We will be stronger together, two against one. Be damned if we are exposed, as long as we're together it doesn't matter, right?"

Her motivational speech ended with the chamber filling with silence. The wind ceased and a lone cloud stretched across the blazing sun, shrouding the chamber in grey. Merlin was at a lost and dropped his head to the floor. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"I do not know what else I can say," Gaius stated; Kadian had covered it all and more. The task was dangerous and risky; the plan could go astray at any moment and bring them to their death.

"Then I will say it for you. We have two hours to find a way to kill that thing."

-x-

The door to Lancelot's cell opened and Prince Arthur walked in. Lancelot scrambled to his feet. "I should have known," Arthur growled. "How could I have been so stupid? You don't sound like a knight. You don't even look like a knight!" The prince turned away, toward the door; he should not have bothered to go to the dungeons. It brought more pain to him.

"I'm sorry." Lancelot bowed his head in shame and respect, eluding Arthur's gaze when it returned to him.

"I'm sorry too," Arthur stated softly, gentle like a whisper, "because, Lancelot, you fight like a knight. And I knew..."

Lancelot glanced up at the prince and let his gaze fall to the ragged floor of his cell again; there was straw scattered across the uncomfortable, stone floor.

Arthur looked toward the open door. "Camelot needs..." he drifted off.

"The creature?" Lancelot asked; he had heard the screams of the people through the grate at the top of his cell. He had wished to be fighting alongside Arthur and the knights when the monster swooped in to the city..

Arthur winced. "We could not kill it," he answered painfully, nearly choking on the words that reminded him of his guilt. "I've never faced its like."

"I've faced it myself, sire; some days passed. I struck it full square. I wondered how it endured," Lancelot stated, shaking his head. His sword had completely shattered against the monster's feathers. Arthur stared at him curiously, perhaps wondering why he hadn't mentioned the incident before, but seemed to dismiss the topic for he stepped forward.

"There are those that believe this creature, this _griffin_, is a creature of magic," Arthur said, looking up at the dirty ceiling. "And only magic can destroy it."

"Do you believe this?

"It doesn't matter what I believe," Arthur sighed as he moved toward the open door. "The use of magic isn't permitted. The knights must prevail with steel and sinew alone."

"Sire." Lancelot said, wondering why Arthur had come to talk to him in the first place.

"There is a horse waiting outside," Arthur stated, stepping to the side to free the path to the doorway.

Lancelot dipped his head. "Thank you, sire."

"Lancelot, take it and never return to this place," Arthur instructed, gazing up at the former knight once more though deep blue eyes.

"No, please no," Lancelot pleaded, leaning forward. "It is not my freedom I seek. I only wish to serve with honour."

"I know."

"Then let me ride with you, sire."

"I cannot," Arthur snapped, glancing away. "My father knows nothing of this. I release you myself. Now go, before I change my mind." The prince stepped forward, getting out of Lancelot's path to the door again.

Hesitantly, Lancelot stepped toward the door but stopped to gaze over at the prince once more, finally realizing what was going through the prince's mind. The screams that he had heard during the attack had come from the Lady Azura. "She's going to be alright, sire," he stated gently before passing through the opening; he left the dungeons to collect the horse that was waiting for him.

-x-

The sky had darkened to a charcoal black, not a single little star flickered against its bold colour As Arthur had said, a horse was waiting for him nearly the gates, already equipped with a saddle. Lancelot took hold of the reigns and gazed out at the world beyond the gates of Camelot; it seemed bleak and unwelcoming. He had two options: leave like he was told or damn the rules and go after the griffin with the rest of the knights. With a sigh, Lancelot pulled the horse away from the gates and deep into the shadowed streets of Camelot.

-x-

Larka glanced up at a knock on the door. Her father was resting in his bed in the other room with the door sealed tightly. Hesitantly, Larka rose to her feet and crossed the room, pulling the door open slightly. "What are you doing here?" Larka asked, stepping out into the dimly lit street. "My father is just inside. If he sees or hears you..."

"Why isn't he going with the rest of the knights?" Lancelot asked, glancing over at the partially open window a few feet away.

"He was injured when it attacked early this day," Larka answered, reaching over and shutting the shutter. Not even a hint of sorrow tainted her velvet voice. "Why are you here?"

"I'm going after Arthur and the knights," Lancelot stated, running a hand through his dark hair. "If there's even a chance that I can stop this... _griffin_, I must do something."

She took a sharp breath and set her brown gaze upon Lancelot's handsome face. "You can't go. You'll die..." Larka said, shaking her head. "I won't let you..."

"Larka, listen to me. It is my duty, knight or not," Lancelot said, lifting her gaze to his face with a caring hand. "Please, understand."

A soft sigh expelled from Larka's lips as her eyes gazed away from his face. She understood him quite well, maybe even too well. "Then you will need some armour, and a sword. Wait here," she said, silently returning into the sanctum of her house.

Lancelot stared at the shadowed door, waiting for it to pull back and reveal Larka to him once again. In a matter of minutes, the door obeyed his wishes and the nobleman's daughter emerge out of the house. A suit of silver mail was slung across her arms with a sword and helmet resting on top of the silver metal. She walked passed Lancelot and placed the pile gently upon a lonely stool. "My father won't have use for these for a long while," she said, so softly that Lancelot almost missed her words. "Let me help you."

Hesitantly, Lancelot walked over to where she now stood, bringing the horse with him and tying the reins to a nearby pole. He removed his belt and allowed Larka to slip the tunic of chain-mail over his head. Her fragile hands brushed against Lancelot's neck as she fixed the collar and slid a small piece of mail over his head, to be worn underneath the helmet. Tightening the belt around his waist, Larka handed him her father's sword and helmet.

"Larka, if I should not return..." he said, setting his gaze upon her beautiful face.

"Don't go, Lancelot," Larka replied, finally meeting the stunning eyes of his. "Please."

His eyes trailed down her face, across her lips, until the fell to the dark ground. "But go I must," he said, beaming at her silver-kissed face.

Larka nodded her head for she would not get on her knees and beg for him to stay. He turned away slowly, debating whether or not to stay with her, but he knew that he must go after the knights of Camelot. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he turned back to the nobleman's daughter, where his lips met hers in an unforeseen fashion. They stayed that way, only for a moment, until Larka stepped back with a her hands guiltily behind her back and her brown eyes staring at the small grains of sand by her feet. "Come back safe," she whispered before gracefully walking over to the door of her house and entering it without a glance back to Lancelot.

-x-

Merlin's head was thrown back as the warlock handed the jagged dagger to Kadian. They had spent nearly two hours trying to cast a single spell that was powerful enough to kill the griffin. Kadian held the dagger firmly in her hand, concentration on its sleek, sharp edges. "_Bregdan agweald gafeluec_," she enchanted, but her eyes remained blue and the dagger stayed a grey dagger.

Crying out in agony, Kadian tossed the dagger to the floor. It landing point down. She sat beside Merlin and threw her head back as he had. Not even a spark flickered off the dagger to even show some progress over the dragging minutes.

The old physician sat before them with his head in his hand. "I know that you are trying your best," he said, sighing at the defeat.

"And we keep failing! Arthur's going to die and it's going to be all our fault," Merlin grumbled, tossing his head into his hands.

Kadian placed a soft hand on his back. "Merlin, don't talk like that. We _will _do this," she said, convincing herself as she spoke.

"_Merlin!_" a voice cried as the door to the physician's chamber swung open. Guinevere rushed in with her red cloak trailing in the air behind her. Her face was stricken with fear as she ran up to them. "I just saw Lancelot in the street. He's running out to kill the griffin!"

"He's _what_?" Merlin exclaimed with Kadian's delicate voice echoing his as he jumped to his feet. Without a second thought, Merlin ran from the chamber.

"Merlin!" Kadian shouted, running after him, despite the sharp pain in her knee.

-x-

They ran through the courtyard and into the fire-lit streets of Camelot. Lancelot stood in the alleyway adjacent to the open gates, checking to make sure everything was secured to the horse's saddle before he ventured off to chase after the knights and the vicious griffin. He looked up at the sound of rushing footsteps and stepped away from the horse, grabbing the lance that rested idly beside the stone wall, then he realized it was Merlin and Camelot's princess. "I'm coming with you," Merlin said with a pant as he fought to catch his breath.

"So am I," Kadian added.

"No, you are not," Lancelot replied, gazing at them both. "Neither of you are soldiers and you are limping, Kadian."

"You said it yourself," Kadian stated, glancing over at Merlin who she knew was agreeing with Lancelot about Kadian not accompanying them. "Arthur needs all the help he can get. Azura would be with them now if she was... if she could. So, let's go."

She already began to walk toward the stables to retrieve another horse to ride out after the griffin when Lancelot went to open his mouth to protest. Merlin followed her and lifted her on to the saddle before him with a small smile, hoping that he would not regret taking her along for this trip. If they were too late to save Arthur and then, god forbid, the griffin get a hold of her, it would be on his head that Uther no longer had an heir to succeed him after his death.

The hooves of the two horses rang throughout the vacant alleys of Camelot as they passed underneath the archway and into the wood that towered before the majestic city.

-x-

Dark, ominous shadows loomed between each of the giant pines, glazing the fallen leaves and hiding even the most fearsome of creatures within its dark void. Kadian's blue eyes seemed to penetrate through the darkness and turned grey as the moonlight hit them square.

Merlin pulled back on the reins as agonizing cries echoed through the chill air against the silence. Lancelot stopped beside them, glancing around with Sir McAlister's helmet on his head. They could hear the clashing of steel against the impenetrable body of the monster and the ringing of the mail as the beast's talons raked across each silver ring. Lancelot led the way to the near slope as the screams and clanging ceased to echo through the many trees.

Spread across the wood's floor were the knights of Camelot, unconscious and injured. Shards of, what were, swords were scattered across the stationary bodies. Kadian slid off the saddle and gazed around, gazing at the fallen swordsmen with sorrow in her eyes. If the best fighters in the entire land could not defeat the beast, what were Lancelot's chances if neither she nor Merlin could produce the spell needed to kill the griffin?

"Arthur!" she heard Merlin shout as he ran by and knelt beside one of the motionless bodies.

She rushed over and sighed with relief that her brother was still alive. A deep cut etched its way across the side of his neck, disappearing where the suit of mail began. Lancelot glanced over at them and pushed down the mask of the helmet he wore and mounted the horse once more, taking hold of the spear and rode out to face the griffin that screeched above them.

The dark creature landed heavily and it glared at its remaining opponent through soulless eyes. Its yellow beak parted and a shrill screech rattled out it is massive throat as Lancelot pointed his spear.

Kadian saw Merlin rise to his feet to her left and did the same, watching as Lancelot's horse galloped toward the griffin. She could hear Merlin attempt to cast the spell, but the spear in their friend's hand stayed the same. "_Bregdan agweald gafeluec_!" she exclaimed, after Merlin was unsuccessful, but she, too, met the same defeat.

Her hand wrapped around Merlin's, fearing the worst for Lancelot, for Camelot, and for them as the griffin leapt into the chill air with its massive talons stretched out before its muscular figure.

_It's '__anweald'_, a voice whispered through the cries of the griffin.

"_Bregdan anweald gafeluec!_" Merlin and Kadian enchanted with their free hands extended toward the spear as it approached the griffin. An unimaginable power boiled up inside them, mingling together like two different forces with the same goal, and expelled by the sound of the spoke enchantment.

Brilliant white and blue flames engulfed the end of the spear as their lips formed the incantation in perfect unison. The sound of the horse's hooves clashing against the solid ground was drowned out by the dying shriek of the beast as Lancelot drove the spear's point into the monster's broad chest. In a deafening cry, the griffin fell to the hard ground, limp and cold as stone.

Lancelot pulled back on the reins and the horse rose up onto its hind legs and whinnied in triumph as the flames vanished in the cool breeze. Kadian embraced Merlin as he shouted out in triumph His lips pressed firmly against hers for a few moments before he pulled back and embraced her tightly. It had been a team effort. They looked up and over at Lancelot who was gazing at them in disbelief. Merlin took Kadian's hand and pulled her toward Camelot, away from the stirring knights.

Through the cover of the darkness and tress, they could hear Arthur's voice, "Lancelot?"

"Sire," Lancelot acknowledged from horseback.

"You did it. You killed it, Lancelot!" Arthur shouted in a pain-stricken tone.

-x-

The door to the physician's chamber was thrown open and Gaius jumped to his elderly feet when he saw Merlin and Kadian enter, hand in hand. A smile stretched across the old man's face. "You did it," he grinned.

"_We_ did it," Merlin replied matching Gaius' smile as he released Kadian's hand and slung an arm across her back, pulling her close.

A proud chuckle escaped the physician as he went over and embraced Merlin like a father would a son, and then embraced Kadian for she was the daughter that he wished that he had. Kadian stepped away from the physician as his arms released her. "We should meet the knights at the gates. Some of them are gravely hurt," Kadian stated.

_-x-_

Larka sat beside an open window, gazing out toward the gates as she eagerly awaited for Lancelot's return. It had been a long night, and the sky had already begun to lighten into greys as the moon descended down the horizon. Alas, torches were lit around the entrance to the gates, more so than before, and Larka rose to her feet, grabbing her black cloak from nearby chair. She slung it over her shoulders and lifted the hood onto her head as the door slowly creaked open. A deep, concerned voice stopped her from leaving the house. "Where do you think you are going, Larka?"

"Father, please. The knights just arrived from killing the monster... I want to see if they are alright," Larka replied, slowly turning to gaze at her father through the black shadows the hood made. Her voice was pleading and too innocent for Sir McAlister to refuse. The elderly knight stood in the doorway to his chamber with a crutch under his right arms to help support his balance.

"Very well, come straight back here after," Anthony stated, moving over to stand before his daughter into the opened archway. He gazed over at the gates, seeing the lit torches. "I will be back in the morning." With that, he limped down the silent street, toward the palace to await the story of how Arthur was able to kill the beast and see if any of his friends were left dead in the wood.

Grinning, Larka proceeded toward the gates and leaned against the stone wall as she saw the physician tending to the wounds of the knights (with the assistance of Merlin and Kadian). Her eyes beamed as she saw Lancelot sitting upon a horse, over looking his fellow swordsmen, who kept thanking him through the cries of pain. _He did it_, she thought before stepping further into the protection of the vacant alleys. Her cheeks were bright pink beneath the caressing shadows that blanketed her face.

-x-

Her feet carried her astray until she was inside the palace. Many of the guards had left to rouse the king and travel to the gates to assist the knights in any way they could. Larka slid through the large corridors unseen and pushed open a wooden door that obstructed her path. Her dark eyes scanned across every inch of the room she was in until they reached the soft face of Azura. Without a sound, Larka crossed the chamber and stood beside the cot, hovering over the woman. "So, you live on," she stated, stroking the side of Azura's face with her hand. "You are a mystery to me. The loss of blood should have killed you, if the griffin hadn't, but here you lay, breathing and with a heartbeat. What are you, Azura Lightwing, if not human?" She laughed.

Larka paused as if she awaited a reply. "To be honest, I do not care what you are. My hatred toward you is great, though I cannot say why. It is like it just came to me through misunderstood events. I want you to suffer like I have. The agony of not being able to be free from a strong grasp, not being able to love who is your heart's greatest desire, and the never ending fright of not knowing which breath will be your last," she continued. Her hand hovered over Azura's head as her lips shaped the sounds of her soft, tainted voice, "_Pagideútai se enan ephialetey_."

A black mist formed below her pale hand, slowly morphing into a dark orange as it snaked toward Azura's face. Pressing against her closed eyelids, the mist vanished. Larka's hand retracted to her side as Azura's head fell to the side with impeccable agility. "Good luck, Azura," Larka grinned, turning toward the open door and passing through without a back glance.

-x-

The sun ascending into the crisp air, basking everything in its bright, angelic rays. Many of the knights had retired to their homes to rest while Arthur took Lancelot to see his father, Uther. Kadian had arrived in the hall a few minutes ago, pretending to be eager to hear the outcome of the attack. She stood near Sir McAlister, who was also waiting to hear how events were played out. Two guards pushed open the doors leading into the throne room, letting the prince pass through the doorway to his father's waiting arms. "You did it, my son," Uther exclaimed, placing his hands on Arthur's shoulders.

"No, no, father," Arthur replied, shaking his head. "It was Lancelot."

Uther shifted his now fierce gaze toward the two open doors, where Lancelot emerged, removing the dark gloves from his hands. "What's he doing here?" the king asked, letting his hands slid off of his son's broad shoulders.

"Father, I can explain..." Arthur said, glancing toward the floor guiltily.

Camelot's king stepped toward Lancelot. "You! Wait outside," he growled.

Lancelot dipped his head and cautiously stepped back into the corridor. Kadian saw a spark flash in Sir McAlister's eye as he watched Lancelot leave the room. The knight's face hardened and his content expression faded into pure anger.

As the guards pulled the large doors shut, Lancelot could hear the king shout at his son, "You had no right to release him!" He stood a couple feet away from the door, not wanting to hear their shouts as they decided what to do with him. He winced as he felt something press against his left shoulder, causing him to turn.

"What are they doing?" Merlin asked.

"Deciding my fate," Lancelot sighed, not meeting Merlin's concerned stare.

Through the door they could hear the argument as it continued. "_I confess it, sire, I released him and I'll accept the consequences, but surely Lancelot's actions have changed things_!" Arthur protested.

"_His actions change nothing. He broke the code_!" Uther growled.

"_He laid down his life for me_!" Arthur shouted. "_He served with honour_."

"_I see you feel strongly about this, Arthur_," the king replied, his voice softening slightly. "_Under the circumstances, a pardon perhaps_."

"_No, not good enough, father_," Arthur stated. "_You must restore Lancelot to his rightful place as a knight of Camelot_."

"_Never_!" Uther sneered. "_The law is the law. The code bends for no man_."

"_Then, the code is wrong!_" Arthur snapped.

Everything went silent as Uther contemplated his options.

Merlin turned to Lancelot, after hearing the argument. "They'll restore your knighthood. Of course they will. You killed the griffin," Merlin said, moving to stand by his friend's side.

"But _I_ didn't kill the griffin," Lancelot replied, gazing at Merlin before taking a few steps away from the knights. "You and Kadian did," he stated, lowering his voice an octave as Merlin walked up beside him again.

Merlin laughed. "That's ridiculous," he laughed, shaking his head in denial.

"_Bragedon anweald_," Lancelot recited, gazing up at his friend. "I heard you. I _saw_ the two of you."

Merlin stared at the swordsman, who quickly glanced over at the guards to see if they had heard. "Don't worry," he said, "your secret is safe with me, but I cannot take credit for what I did not do. There will be no more lies, no more deceit."

"What are you going to do?" Merlin questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"The only thing I can do," Lancelot replied and walked passed Merlin. He pushed the doors to the throne room open, ignoring the guards that demanded him to stop.

Kadian gazed over at Lancelot as her father demanded an explanation. "Let me speak!" Lancelot snapped as the guards grabbed him by the arms to restrain him from going any further.

"Please, father, let him speak," Kadian pleaded; she had moved from Sir McAlister's side to stand closer to her brother, but still far enough to stay directly out of the argument.

"Wait!" Uther growled as the guards dragged Lancelot back toward the corridor. "I'll hear him." His eyes stayed glued onto Lancelot, not even averting to glare at his daughter for speaking out of turn.

The two guards released Lancelot's arms and stepped away as Uther had ordered. "Forgive me, sire," Lancelot said, dipping his head to both Uther and Arthur, "I've come to bid you farewell."

"Lancelot?" Kadian whispered.

"What is this, Lancelot?" Arthur asked, clearly hearing his sister's soft words.

"I have lied to you both, and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bare that burden as you should not bare mine," Lancelot stated as he looked from Arthur to Uther, then to Kadian. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt guilty about the entire outcome of things. "I must start again," he continued, shifting his brown eyes onto Uther again, "far from here. Then maybe, one day, the fates will grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot."

Arthur walked forward. "But, Lancelot, you've already proved that to us," he said.

"But, I must prove it to myself," Lancelot replied, glancing over at Sir McAlister who was glaring at him.

Everyone present in the room was lost for words. Lancelot bowed his head to Uther, "Your highness." He then, dipped his head to the king's son. "Prince Arthur," he said before turning and dipping his head toward Kadian, who met his chocolate gaze. "Princess." With that, Lancelot stepped from the room, letting the royal family's eyes trail after him as his strong, compassionate words sunk in.

Only one being in that room was not touched by Lancelot's words and that being was Sir Anthony McAlister. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his grasp on his crutch had tightened to the point where his hand was bright red. "Excuse me, sire," he said, snapping Uther's attention back into the kingdom, "but I must return to my home." The elder knight did not wait for the king to acknowledge and exited the room from one of the side doors.

-x-

Anthony limped down the busy street, knocking over a few villagers that got in his path. "_Larka_!" he growled, approaching his house. Lancelot was there with his arms around the nobleman's daughter.

Lancelot stepped before Larka, pushing her behind him as Anthony dropped the crutch and limp forward on his own with clenched fists. "How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!" Anthony growled; his dark eyes pierced through Lancelot like the spear did the griffin. "You have no right!"

"Father, _please_, shut your mouth!" Larka hissed, stepping around Lancelot and standing before her father. "You speak of rights, but you enforce you own word above them all. I am sick and tired of sitting back and letting you control my life. I am done with you, and I am definitely finished with Camelot. Whether you approve or not, I am leaving this wretched place with Lancelot. My path in lift has changed, you know the circumstances. It lies beyond these tainted gates and there is nothing you can say that will prevent me from following that road."

A hand smacked her square on the cheek and Larka pushed her father to the ground in a flash. The nearby villagers stopped their mingling and turned to see what the fuss was about and flinched as a loud _crack_ rang through the air. Lancelot took hold of Larka's arm, preventing her from causing any more damage to the elder knight. "Come on," he breathed, "enough has been done."

He led her away from the angered, helpless Anthony McAlister and to the street perpendicular to the one they had been on. Two horses were there, one black and the other bay, that waited for them to mount so they could leave the shadowed walls of Camelot and escape Uther's horrible laws. Lancelot helped Larka up onto the black stallion, making sure she had the reins in her hands before mounting the second horse. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek softly as they flicked the reins and raced out of Camelot. Lancelot knew that even if the fates never brought him back to Camelot, at least they had already granted him Larka to spend his days with from here on out.

-x-

The sun was high in the sky when Kadian returned to the physician's chamber. She had completed her daily rounds in the town and had more than enough spare time to waste away with Gaius and Merlin, once Arthur released him from work. Her blue eyes scanned the room, noticing that something felt off or out of place. "Where's Azura?" she asked, walking up behind the physician as he mixed together some herbs in a bowl.

"I had her moved to her chamber," Gaius replied, glancing up from his work.

"Why?" Kadian asked, glancing over at the, now empty, cot that lay idle against the far right wall. "What about her injuries? Wouldn't moving her reopen them? Gaius..." She stared at him curiously, seeing the secret that burning in his eyes; it was unlike him to conceal his knowledge from her. "What are you hiding from me?"

Gaius dropped the tools that were in his hands and turned to Kadian, just as Merlin walked into the chamber. "What do you know about elves?"

-x-

**Here are the incantations used in this chapter:**

_**Me apeleutheróste**__  
release me!_

_**Το grupach, erxetai se**__**Camelot. Epithesey**__**Azura Lightwing**_

_Griffen, come to Camelot. Attack Azura Lightwing. _

_**Bregdan anweald gafeluec**_

_It's from the TV show._

_**Pagideútai se enan ephialetey**_

_Be trapped in a nightmare_

_**Next time on **_**Forbidden Magic and Desires**_**:**_

_**Questions rattle throughout Camelot as they all eagerly await for Azura to waken. However there are more pressing issues. All the bodies in the burials chambers are stolen and an army of the dead is conjured, marching their way to break down the walls of the magnificent city. Can Kadian stop the army before the sorcerer responsible kills her?**_


	8. Episode Seven: The Catacombs of Darkness

**Rated M for graphic and _lemon_ scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is effected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

She stood alone in an abyss that engulfed her in total darkness. Everywhere she looked darkness lurked, calling for her to embrace it, become one with it. She felt fear with the eerie silence that was the abyss. She felt pain, unbearable pain that surged from her midsection, arms and head. Her breaths were heavy and made no sound as her lungs struggled to take in the invisible air. There was something warm on her hands, her arms, and face that slowly oozed down her flesh, dropping to the pit of darkness beneath her feet. It was her blood that fell like pouring rain.

_Won't you surrender to the pain? Ease your bleeding muscles?_ a voice pierced through the darkness, obnoxiously loud.

At first, she thought that she saw the light that seeped in through her chamber's window, but she was ever so wrong. The false sun lingered over her, beating her with uncanny heat that could melt wax in mere seconds. She saw her arms, bruised and bleeding. There was a rusted taste in her mouth and she licked her bottom lip, tracing the bleeding cut that was there.

_Look at all the shining rubies as they fall, fall, fall,_ the voice cooed. _Won't you stop the precious gems from falling? Can't you?_

Azura felt her arms lift over her head, like they were pulled back by chains against a wall. Her blood fell onto her face and streamed down her forehead, nose, and lips. _Dance for me,_ the voice said and Azura's body jerked left, then right against her will. The pain was terrible, burning with each unwanted movement.

The voice just laughed maniacally; it was the puppet-master, and Azura was the puppet.

-x-

Kadian stood with the physician as he took Azura's fever and then her pulse. He commented on how rapid her pulse was, but sighed in relief that she held no fever. The days since the griffin were long, grey and boring and grew in numbers that seemed too great to count. It had been at least a week since Kadian had watched Lancelot ride off to prove to himself that he was worthy of knighthood. Watching him ride away left Kadian with a heavy heart, but none that could compare to the weight that crushed her chest when her eyes swept across Azura's pain-stricken face, closed eyes, and bruises that were finally disappearing and were an ugly yellow.

"Gaius," Kadian said softly, "why hasn't she woken? Her wounds have been healed since... since the evening after they were inflicted."

"I believe she has fallen into a coma," Gaius stated, looking up from the supplies he had rested on the night table. There was a fresh bouquet of white roses that rested on the night table, undoubtedly from Arthur who spent nearly all of his spare time at Azura's side.

Kadian nodded her head and sighed, sweeping her eyes across Azura's face again. "Gaius." Kadian said and Gaius turned to her again. There was something stuck in the back of her mind that would not go away. "If Azura is an elf... she would be immortal, right?"

From the second the word "elves" rolled off Gaius' tongue that day long passed, Kadian's thoughts were swimming with how Azura was deceiving them all. Kadian had known Azura since she was a child, and never once did she suspect that she was a creature of magic.

"In the terms of age, yes," Gaius informed with a sigh; he wished he had not spoke of his theory to her before have proof. "But injury and poison can kill her."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Kadian asked, pacing around the chamber now with her hands resting at her sides. "I've been her friend for years, Gaius, _years_."

"Maybe, I am wrong," Gaius shrugged as he administered some rosemary before turning to pack up his supplies. "But I will say this: if she does not wake soon, I fear she will die, elf or not."

"Gaius," Kadian said and her turned again with an annoyed sigh. "Can you tell me about the elves?"

Gaius cocked an eyebrow and motioned for her to take a seat and he did the same, sitting across from her. It took him a minute to collect his thoughts; he had done a lot of research on the elves since the thought appeared in his mind. "Elves are mystical beings who dwell in the depths of the Forest of Aria, far, far from Camelot. They are peaceful beings and stay within the sanctuary of their trees, normally. It is said that they are one with the life around them, whether it's people, animals or plants. They give off their energy to help the earth thrive. Some say that they are the givers of life, to have mastered the power of life itself."

Kadian listened to him speak with her fingers folded together at her lap. When his wise voice stopped and the chamber fell silent, Kadian looked over at her friend, wondering what she was dreaming about, if she was dreaming. "It sounds like her and not at the same time," she said, gripping the fabric of her luxurious gown. "I don't understand how."

Gaius chuckled as he rose to his feet, collecting his turtle-shell bag from the night table. "Elves are very similar to humans, their physiques are nearly identical to our own, but they are born from magic, with magic that runs through their veins as much as their blood. Azura was made like any child, through love," he stated wisely as he strolled toward the door. "Again, we are uncertain. Perhaps, there were wards placed on her to protect her. We will not know until we ask."

"Thank you, Gaius," she called after him as the tail of his robe vanished through the doorway.

Now she was alone in the chamber in an agonizing silence. The walls looked grey, even the fresh roses seemed to droop on their stems. Kadian rose to her feet and patted out the wrinkles on her gown. Then, she turned to Azura and whispered, "Please, Azura, come back to us."

-x-

Merlin lifted the brown leather jacket over Arthur's shoulders, letting it rest there comfortably. He turned away and grabbed Arthur's sword that rested idly on the tabletop, handing it to Arthur as he spun around. The prince took the sword hastily and strapped it to his waist. As he did so, Merlin took Arthur's night-tunic and brought it over to the cupboard, hanging it to be worn later. "Arthur," he said, "could I ask you something?"

"Not now, Merlin," Arthur mumbled, lifting a cup to his lips and downing the cold contents inside.

Sighing, Merlin closed the cupboard and rushed to refill Arthur's cup before the prince grew impatient that it was empty. He did not say a word, filled the cup, and spun to go make the bed that seemed like a tornado had tossed the sheets each and every which way.

"Alright, Merlin, what is it?" Arthur sighed, giving in to Merlin's silent treatment.

A small, amused smile curved Merlin's lips as he looked over his shoulder at Arthur. "What attracted to you to Azura?" His question seemed dumb coming from his mouth, but he truly wanted to know. Since the griffin, Merlin did not hear Arthur talk about her, and before then, Arthur only spoke about what he wanted with Azura, like she was a treasure to have.

Arthur seemed to shrug as he lifted his hands. "She's got big..." He caught himself and let his hands drop as they came together. "...A great personality... Why do you want to know, Merlin?"

Merlin nearly choked on his breath as Arthur replied, obviously truthfully. "You just haven't... haven't been yourself since..."

"Merlin." Arthur warned, downing his drink again and waving off more. "You need to muck out my horse when you're done." With that, he stalked out of his chamber, leaving Merlin shaking his head as he pulled the sheets straight and padded them free of wrinkles and ruffles.

Looking after Arthur, Merlin called, "You will tell me!" It was his goal now, he would find out what _really_ attracted Arthur to Azura.

-x-

The streets of the lower town were busy and loud. Unlike the commoners and travellers, Kadian had an easy time slipping through the crowd because when someone saw her, they would step back and bow their heads and then, the person next to them would do the same and so on and so forth. Though she hated the way everyone bowed to her, Kadian was glad she did not have to push and shove to get through. Several of the merchants offered her some of their goods, but Kadian declined and asked if anyone new had wandered into Camelot, especially someone that looked suspicious.

As she walked through the narrow streets, someone pushed on Kadian's back and she stumbled forward, and a peasant put a hand out to catch her before she fell face-first into the mud and other unpleasantries that were on the ground. The peasant said something nasty to the person who knocked her over, but when Kadian turned to see who had rudely pushed her away, there was no one there, only the tail of a dark-brown cloak. "Thank you," she said to the peasant and walked after the cloak.

The man swerved through the crowd and Kadian followed him; he was a suspicious character, anyone with common sense would have been able to tell that she was of higher class. And it angered her slightly that someone other than her father thought she was nothing, someone you could walk over and get tend to your every wish. He walked out of the street and to a secret passage that led underground, taking the idle torch by the door and lighting it without words or motion. Then, he disappeared.

"What business does he have in the burial chambers?" Kadian asked herself as she glanced around before rushing after the cloaked man. She murmured a soft incantation, giving herself a small orb of light to guide her feet down the narrow, shadowed staircase.

Her orb radiated a soft blue light that dispersed the consuming shadows, allowing her to walk freely without fear of tripping and falling, or meeting an unfriendly foe. Through the shadows, she heard a deep, mysterious voice echo through the burial chamber. It was incanting something, something that dealt with magic. "_Anoizete autesh ieroush tepoush anapausesh... Lambanoun mono ta pteoomata... teoon andreoon kai teoon metaphireoon ton eauto mou kai toush nekroush apo tish katakombesh tou skotoush_," the voice incanted.

A chill, harsh wind swept open the doors and whipped into the chamber with a loud, echoing _whoosh_ing. Kadian's hair flew forward, into her face as she dropped the torch. The orange flames sparked into the air, singling a spot on the skirt of her blue gown. When the wind stopped and her hair was tamed, Kadian bent down and lifted the torch into her hand. She stalked forward, thinking of a spell that would protect her at a moments notice; she was dealing with a sorcerer who, unlike herself, was conjuring something evil.

The ghastly chamber was lined with rows and rows of large, stone caskets with a carving of the title of the person whom lay inside it. All the casket covers were open, the stench of death lifted into the air and Kadian raised a hand to cover her nose. The man in the dark cloak was no longer there. Hesitantly, Kadian rose onto her toes and peered into one of the dark caskets: there were no remains, only the white, wispy web of the big, black spider that had somehow crawled inside to make its home.

Looking around, the caskets were empty. Why would someone steal the dead?

-x-

The great doors to the council chamber swung inward, crashing against the stone wall heavily. Uther stormed into the chamber, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as his quick stride brought him to the front. Kadian stood to his right when he turned to her, setting a dark stare that she had become accustomed to. "What is this?" he asked in a low, dark voice.

"The dead in the burial chamber have been stolen, father," Kadian said, averting his heated stare that beat down upon her worse than physical punishment. Surely, she thought, the guard who had sent for the king had explained to him what she had told them, but apparently, the king did not believe the guards.

Uther spun away from her as Arthur walked into the chamber with a look of exhaustion on his face. He looked as if he had not slept well in days, which Kadian knew to be true. Merlin had told her that when he went to check on Arthur during the night, Arthur was awake, pretending to be sleeping. "I searched the catacombs, sire," Arthur said his voice tainted with his exhaustion, "the bodies were taken from the tombs." The way he said _tombs_ in his tired voice was utterly grim and sent shivers up and down Kadian's spine.

Uther placed a hand against his head as he thought, taking in all of this in. "Who could have done this?" he asked, lifting his head out of his palm and resting a more relaxed gaze on Kadian, now that he knew that what she had said was true.

"I saw a cloaked man enter the burial chamber. I followed him, curious to see what business he had there; I thought, perhaps, he was an undertaker, but no, father, he wasn't." Kadian's voice was unusually low and grim as she spoke, recalling the event. "As I walked down the steps, I heard him incanting a spell. Then, all the bodies were gone and so was he."

"Actually, father," Arthur said, sweeping his eyes over Kadian to read her thoughts as if they were his own. "Only the bodies of men were taken, all the women are accounted for... even mother."

_Mother_. The term hit Kadian square in the heart, like a sharp, double-edged dagger had pierced through her chest. What she would give to spend five minutes, even five seconds with her mother. The word seemed to strike Uther too and his eyes seemed to gaze off to the distance as he recalled his last memory of his wife; he looked momentarily sad.

"Take some men," Uther said, his eyes turning back to the dark, stern phase they were normally. "Find this sorcerer."

Arthur bowed his head and spun on his heels, strolling toward the door.

"Arthur," Uther called after his son, who stopped dead in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. "Do not forget about the feast this evening; you will attend. The Duke of Salunor and his Duchess have come to Camelot in celebration of their marriage."

"Yes, sire," Arthur said, dipping his head once more before he left the chamber, disappearing around the corner in a flash.

Kadian stood quietly, her hands folded together before her as she awaited her next instruction. Suddenly, Uther turned to her. "Tell our guests that they have nothing to fear with this _matter_, we have it in hand," he said and stalked away, his footsteps heavily on the wooden floor.

Sighing, Kadian dipped her head and left the chamber through the front doors. Of course, he would send her on this meaningless errand instead of a messenger boy or a servant, the king had many at his disposal; but no, he chose to send his daughter.

-x-

The Duke was surprising gracious for her audience to tell him and his wife that the situation was in hand. He was a muscular man, younger than Uther, with wispy, dark-brown hair and deep, hazel eyes. When he smiled, or smirked (Kadian could not tell), she could see that he was missing a tooth in his bottom row of teeth. Then, before Kadian could scurry away to seek Merlin, the Duke brought her to meet his new, young wife.

The Duchess had flyaway, chestnut hair and deep, dazzling green eyes that sparkled in the dim sunlight. She did not look much older than Kadian, but in a way, she looked old enough to be Kadian's mother. When the Duchess set her eyes on Kadian, she leapt from her seat, her forest-green gown nearly snagging, and ran over to her, embracing her warmly.

Flustered, Kadian gently pushed her away and said some cheery, greeting that the Duchess smiled and laughed highly. Hoping that she did not seem rude, she said that she had other business to tend to and left them to prepare for the evening's celebratory feast.

As she strolled through the corridors, Kadian wondered why the Duchess had married the Duke in the first place, but it was not for her to ask. Love was a powerful, confusing thing; it brought her and Merlin together, and it did the same with them.

-x-

Merlin, out of the corner of his eyes, saw Kadian standing in the cool shadows of the palace, beckoning him over to her. He was securing the saddle to Arthur's horse and quickly fastened it before running over to her. "So, it was magic?" he asked, pecking her on the cheek quickly.

"I think I know what magic is, Merlin," Kadian sighed, running her hand through her soft hair.

Nodding, Merlin glanced over his shoulder as Arthur shouted his name, mounting his saddled horse that clapped its hooves against the stone impatiently. "I have to go..." he sighed.

"Merlin, what am I supposed to do?" Kadian asked her voice a whisper. "We _need_ to figure this out. You won't be any help on this hunt, you know that."

Again, Merlin nodded and raised an eyebrow at her kind insult. "Go, talk to the dragon. He'll know what to do. I'll try to come back as soon as I can, but..."

"_Merlin!_" Arthur shouted, rolling his eyes as he and his horse waited impatiently.

Sighing deeply with annoyance, Merlin kissed Kadian once on the cheek, very softly, and then a second time on the lips tenderly, and a kiss that they would not soon forget; it felt like sparks had risen into the air around them. Then, Merlin turned and ran after Arthur, who spurred his horse into a trot and looked up at a sealed window high on the palace walls, Merlin mounted the horse he was given and swept his eyes across Kadian as the horse raced away.

Kadian watched them go, riding like the wind and soon, they were across the bridge and out of the city. She paused as her eyes stared out at the slowly darkening sky that would soon be tainted with orange and smeared with blood-red clouds. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, Kadian spun and entered the palace.

-x-

The dungeons were dark and dreary like moist, hollow caves deep with the mountains. Shadows loomed over the walls, barely wincing as orange and yellow flames shed their light and stared, intrigued, as Kadian slipped passed the stationed guards and descended down a cobwebbed set of stairs. Into a wide, hollow cavern Kadian emerged, the torchlight streaking across her face as she looked out into the dark void. "Hello?" she called, her voice echoing like an aria against the far walls.

Her eyes jumped across the rocks that hung from the ceiling and jutted out from the low earth; for some reason, Kadian could not explain, it felt homey. A roar boomed through the cavern, shaking the dangling stones on the ceiling, rattling pebbles from their places and sending them plummeting into the dark abyss. There was a large shadow moving across the illuminated rocks, long and ridged.

The Great Dragon soared through the higher planes of the cavern until his claws coiled around his throne of stones that rested before the ledge on which Kadian stood. His great, wide wings flared out to the sides, extending to their fullest before folding at his sides. The spikes that ridged his face and lined his spine were sharp and pristine, only curved slightly to give his stocky build a more dangerous complexion. His large, golden eyes stared down her, friendly as any time before.

"Welcome, Kadian," he said; his voice boomed like thunder and his teeth flicked underneath his lips as he spoke. "It has been some time since you have come to me, and I cannot say that I did not miss your company, no matter how short a time it may be."

"I wish that this was a social visit, dragon," she replied, taking a step back to put distance between his scaly snout and herself. There was a subtle awkwardness when she spoke with the dragon, one she could not explain. "I need your help."

"Of course," the dragon said, bowing his head to her.

"What kind of magic uses of the dead?"

Her questioned seemed to startle the dragon and he brought his neck and head back, bringing his impenetrable chest forward and his shoulders back. His eyes seemed haunted and puzzled by her question. "Why would someone like yourself need to know about that art?" The Great Dragon asked, a puff a thick, grey smoke expelling from his narrow nostrils.

"A sorcerer stole corpses from the burial chamber. I witnessed it myself," Kadian explained. Her head began to pound in her skull out of nowhere and she felt hot; maybe it was just the torch and the volume of the dragon's deep voice. "I want to know why and what he is planing."

Quickly, the dragon lowered his skull and stared deep into Kadian's eyes, studying her emotions and concerns that held her thoughts. "The art of Necromancy is nothing to concern yourself with. Few still practice it; it was abandoned centuries ago for it was too evil for this world."

"I need to know more! If this sorcerer is practising... _Necromancy_, then I must know how to stop it!" Kadian protested, but she saw that it was a lost cause as the golden dragon averted her heated gaze.

"Then, you must turn to your studies," the dragon said, sniffing the musky air. "There is something else troubling you."

Kadian shook her head and turned for the passage leading up to the palace. Her entire body felt hot, sweat trickled down the sides of her face and she wiped the droplets away. When her back was turned the dragon flared out his wings, preparing to launch himself into the air. "Wait," Kadian said, spinning around with her straight hair lashing the space around her, "There's a girl, Azura, she's... we think that she is an elf."

Jerking his head back, the Great Dragon stared down at Kadian, refolding his wings against his sides. "I can sense her; she is ill, not unlike yourself," he said. "But what troubles you?"

"She hasn't woken since the griffin attacked her. If she doesn't wake, she will die," Kadian explained, holding the torch away from her to cool herself. "Should I..."

"No." His voice was so sharp and loud he made Kadian's ears ring. "I warn you now, do not use your magic on her." There was no room for argument and the dragon rose into the air and vanished among the hanging stones, only his chain visible and jingling against the stones as it grounded the dragon.

-x-

Arthur rode into Camelot with Merlin behind him. The sky had turned orange and looked like it had caught on fire. The sight left Arthur with a heavy heart, remembering how much Azura loved the sunset and always seemed to be at peace when the sky was warm. Telling Merlin to take his horse to the stables, Arthur walked into the palace, acknowledging few of the posted guards that addressed him. He went straight to his chamber and pulled off his chain mail, not caring to wait for Merlin to do it, and left his mail and padding in a neat pile on the end of his bed. Exhaustion had consumed him with his last bit of energy being zapped away to the hunt for the sorcerer. There was only one thing that Arthur wished more than to crawl under the warm covers of his bed and sleep until the morrow, it was to see Azura's bright smile that could outshine the sun.

He pulled on a fresh tunic and adjusted the necklace he wore so the boar's tooth was in line with his centre. Figuring that his hair could not get any better, Arthur slid his arms into his red jacket and left his chamber as Merlin rushed in; he seemed rather surprised that Arthur had managed to dress himself.

Arthur knew that the feast would begin soon and that he was to be there now, but his feet carried him elsewhere, up a flight of stairs, then down a dimly lit corridor until he stopped at a sealed door. At first, he thought about knocking, then he realized that no one would answer him. As he pushed the door open, he thought he heard her voice greet him warmly, but no, it was just the creak of the hinges.

The orange sunset poured into the chamber through the stain-glass window and pooled onto the bed and the right side of Azura's face. Yellow bruises were matted against her fair skin, nearly faded away. There were no longer any stitches holding her skin together, they had all healed remarkably well since the near-mortal wounds were inflicted. Arthur never recalled him thanking anyone so much as he did Gaius when he saw that her injuries were gone. Now, all that was needed was for her to wake up and gaze around her chamber, find him standing there, and beckon him over and kiss him softly and tenderly.

Slowly, he crossed the chamber and sat on the edge of the bed, gently caressing her stationary, emotionless face with his hand; she was cold as ice, but breathing. She was so pale, even in the orange light, like a ghost. Arthur knew that there was little time left. He, then, kissed her on the brow and rose to his feet and went to the door. The flowers on the night table were already beginning to droop and wither into grey bulbs. He was going to have Merlin pick and send more... no, he was going to do it himself; it was the least he could do for not protecting her from this devastating end.

-x-

Kadian fought against her uncontrollable shaking as the music started and all the guests rose to their feet. Her luxurious, sapphire-blue silk gown felt so tight against her skin, suffocating her slowly each breath. The circlet on her head seemed to add to the weight pounding against her skull; she wished that she would be allowed to sit soon, to get off her feet and let her light-headiness be quelled. Morgana stood beside her, close enough to touch her with a flex of her arm, garbed in a beautiful, purple and navy gown that really teased the men in the chamber. Arthur was his silent self on the other side of Kadian, with his hands folded behind his back.

The doors to the chamber swung inward and the chamber erupted with applause that rang loudly in Kadian's ears, adding more wood to the raging fire. In came the Duke, accompanied by his Duchess. She wore a magnificent, enchanting emerald gown with three-quarter, draping sleeves trimmed with gold and a tight, form-fitting skirt. There was little to the Duchess with her narrow waist and small, but pleasurable chest. Her hair was half-up and half-down, inlaid with many valuable pins with diamond flowers, billowing in the air as she walked so gracefully, like she was on air. Her arm rested on top of her husband's left arm as he guided her through, his prize, his treasure.

The Duke wore a green, velvet tunic with a golden collar and dark brown trousers. On his shoulders rested a long, trailing green cloak embellished with his family crest. As they walked down the aisle to their seats alongside the royal family, they looked especially happy, like nothing else in their life would ever surpass this pleasure.

The ringing throbbed inside Kadian's skull, overlapping in a never-ending, echoing cycle. Her head felt so light and her eyes were going in and out of focus so quickly, that her eyes burned in confusion. "Are you alright?" Morgana whispered, turning her head only just so her eyes were still on the happy couple strolling toward them.

"Yeah..." Kadian said, loosing the battle against her quaking. "I-I can't breathe..."

"What?" Morgana exclaimed, but it was too late.

Kadian fell back, wobbling in the air as she collapsed to the cold floor. Everyone in the chamber gasped as she fell so unexpectedly and suddenly. Her eyes were closed and her ears were ringing louder than ever before. She could only make out one phrase that her father said, panicky, "Get the court physician!"

-x-

When her senses came back, they came all at once, overlapping and confusing her mind further than her sudden illness had. She smelt something vile, or perhaps it was the taste that was in her mouth; Kadian could not tell which. Her sight was blurry, trying focus, but her eyes could not. All she saw where big, blobs of blurry colours moving around her. Hearing an orchestra of voices was next and Kadian struggled to match the colours to their voices to make some sense of who was around her, where she was, and what had happened.

Her skull was pounding and her body shook and jerked in different directions as she tried her hardest to breath, but it was a difficult task, barely any oxygen was supplied. She felt hot all over, like she was at the stake, burning for having magic. That thought rose panic as she tried to get up, but her shaking kept her against the cot.

"Kadian! Kadian, can you hear me?" One voice asked as a dark and light blur hovered over her; there was some red, too, and blue, and also brown. It was Merlin.

She replied something, but her words were slurred and broken as she fought for some breath.

"Merlin, hold her nose. She needs to swallow this," a second voice instructed. The colours that belonged to it were white, tan, and brown; it had to be Gaius.

Then, a blurred hand came down and blocked her nose, forcing her to inhale, gaspingly, through her mouth, where a foul liquid was poured. Unable to breath, Kadian was forced to swallow, grimacing at the awful taste, in order to take what little breaths she could. There was something warm around her hand, and the soft touch reminded her than Merlin was right there, the blob to the right of her, talking to her, but she could not understand.

Everything was growing dark like the faded shadows were closing over her, taking her to Death's catacombs of darkness.

-x-

The door to Gaius' chamber swung open and the king stormed in, his son at his heels. Uther swept his eyes across Kadian, who lie shaking with her eyes closed. "What illness is this?" he asked, whipping his gaze to Gaius who was working at his bench, preparing more medicines as fast as he could. The king did not notice Merlin sitting beside Kadian, but Arthur did and motioned with his head for Merlin to back away.

Merlin sighed and let go of Kadian's hand and stepped away from her side.

"I do not know, my lord," Gaius said, glancing over his shoulder as his hands moved across his bench with a mind of their own, picking up phials and pouring their contents into a bowl where they where mixed together. "I've never seen a disease take control so quickly." As he spoke, he spun around and walked over to Kadian, pouring another vile liquid into her mouth, forcing her to swallow it. "I saw her just this morning. She was perfectly fine then."

"It must be the work of magic," Uther concluded nodding his head as he watched Gaius administer the potential cure. "That sorcerer must have seen her and he is the one who has done this. I'll kill him myself if he dare show his cowardly hide."

Arthur glanced over at his father, curious to his change of heart, the lengths that the king was willing to go to seek retribution for Kadian's illness. "I'll double the search, even triple it if I must, father. I will find him," he said and left the chamber, glancing at Merlin with a silent addition, "Watch over her."

-x-

Darkness was upon the forest. Every tree was cloaked in throbbing, hissing shadows that pooled into the clearing underneath they waxing crescent. What stars were visible twinkled against the black night, watching the earth as half of it went to sleep and the other woke. Corpses filled the moon-lit clearing, some half-rotted, others bone, and some fresh and welcoming the end of life.

An intricate design was drawn in dirt around the dead, spiralling and connecting one thing to another, along with roughly-written glyphs of a long lost, forbidden language. In the centre of the dead and the design, one man stood tall, his face hidden by the hood of his dark brown cloak that was up swept by a chill, harsh wind. He raised his arms to the sky. "_Kaleo ta skoteiná pneúmata. Ta pneúmata teon palion, ta pneúmata teon neon. Tha sash deoseo néa oikodespótesh, oi opoíoi apoteloún tey megalúterey pteosey polemistésh stey gey, teon opoieon pneúmata éxoun perásei pro polloú. Eláte, sash zeteo. Párte autó phoreísh, ópeosh to dikó sash kai na kánete prosphorá mou. Kaleo to skoteivnó pneúmata teon palaieon kai teon néon. Eláte teora._"

The stars dimmed as the shadows morphed and orbs of pure darkness rose into the darkness, only a thin, silver-grey outline showing their flight. One by one, the orbs fell into the bodies, shattering as their invisible glass fractured and their darkness filled the absent minds, limbs and hearts of the dead. Each body quaked and trembled and twisted and turned until they fell dead once again; only now, they were very much alive.

Muscles and skin came across the piles of bones and repaired the rotted flesh. Then, they all stood, old, tarnished mail hanging loose on their hunched shoulders. All eyes were fluorescent, like staring into a deep abyss that could capture any wandering soul. The reek of the dead blossomed from them all as their arms raised to the dark sky and a bloodcurdling, obstreperous howl shot into the air from their undead mouths.

The nightingales ceased their birdsong and joined the bats as they took to the skies.

The sorcerer roared maniacally, raising his arms higher and higher to the sky, adding his own set of octaves to the dead's howl.

-x-

Azura was curled in the fetal position, her legs to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. She was shaking, the pain had intensified beyond anything she had ever felt before. The rusted taste of her blood was in her mouth and she wished she had a glass of water to rinse it free. To go with the water, she would love something to eat, anything as long as it quelled her stomach. Azura could not remember the last time she ate.

_Ah, do you feel that? _the annoying voice asked like its body was right beside her, calming her and rubbing her back gently like Arthur used to do.

Arthur. Azura tried not to think of him, it was a weakness and every time his name crossed her mind, she felt herself slipping into the darkness and the voice, whomever it belonged, controlling her. She vowed never to let it take her; she would rather die than be a puppet.

_Come on. Don't try to ignore me. I know you can hear me, Azura_, the voice sneered in her ear sharply.

Yes, she could feel the dark, ominous spirits wakening in new, foreign bodies; Kadian's slow, shallow breaths and fever from her disease that was gradually taking her; and the fear that spiralled throughout Camelot as the sorcerer's eerie, maniacal laughs boomed from the neighbouring forest. It was maddening. She felt them like they were her own, happening within her.

_There you are. Good. What is given can be taken just as easily. It'll take all of one thought to take a dying life to replenish your own, _the voice cooed in Azura's ear, so low, so alluring and enchanting that Azura rose to her wobbly feet, swaying from side to side as her balance shifted.

For a moment, Azura thought that she had succumb to the voice's demands, but no, she held her own and slammed her fists in front of her. They hit an invisible barrier. Azura spun to the right and punched at the darkness, meeting another barrier. She was surrounded on all sides, inside a glass box that would not break. Her fists beat against the barriers over and over again. Blood dripped down from her knuckles as the flesh tore as she punched and beat the walls of her cage. She screamed, hitting as hard as she could, loud enough that her voice alone should have broken the glass.

Her knuckles became inflamed and swollen as she continued hitting her cage. She would not give in; it was against her nature to use the shared energy to take a life. Her right wrist bent as her fist slammed against the barrier and a sharp _snap! _rang through the darkness.

Azura wailed in pain, slamming her left fist into the barrier only to hear the same _snap!_. She had had it, there was no way to break free. It would not take long to die; all she had to do was wait patiently for Death's long, crooked fingers to grasp hold of her and drag her away from the world of light.

As she sank down, leaning against the barrier, Azura gazed up at the single spot-light that beamed down at her. The light was so warm and welcoming, but too far away to touch when she raised a bleeding hand toward it.

_You want to die? To miss out on all the fortune to come to you if you live? No... you do not want to die, you want to be human. There is no magic to change what you were born, but you still have hope, even in your darkest hour. It's funny. But even though you lie, injured and broken, you smile on, because you will prevail, even in death._

"You won't win me over," Azura hissed her voice hoarse and scratchy, barely audible. She did not have to win the war, she just could not lose. Her head rolled toward her right shoulder and she gazed through the barrier. Her eyes lit up and her fire was re-lit.

There was a single, small crack in the glass.

-x-

When dawn was peering over the horizon, Arthur's search party reached Riverdell, a village northwest of Camelot. Ordering his men to search the local taverns, Arthur rode up the winding street, eyeing the villagers that stared up at him, terrified that he and his men were going to harm them. "We are looking for a sorcerer," he said, pulling back on the reigns and forcing his horse into a stop. "Anyone who gives him up will be heavily rewarded."

The villagers murmured among themselves, questioning each other if they knew what the prince was talking about. They all stared up at Arthur blankly and he sighed impatiently.

"Then, you leave us no choice but to search your homes. Anyone refusing us entrance..." Arthur stated, but a voice carried his gaze away.

"Look all you want, Arthur Pendragon, but here I stand," a cloak man said, standing before the entrance to Riverdell.

"Men!" Arthur shouted. Each of his men that were in the taverns raced out, into the street with their swords drawn, ready to battle. "I warn you now, sorcerer. Come quietly or we will bring you by force. You are outnumbered."

The sorcerer cackled and drew back the hood of his cloak back. His eyes were soullessly dark and his hair was long, oily and black. There were pasty white scars all over his face and neck, one of which cut down his right eye. His chapped lips curved, glinting two rows of teeth as he spoke again, "My name is Vaeturthingor, master of the art of Necromancy. I warn _you_, Arthur Pendragon, surrender now or die."

As Vaeturthingor spoke, the dark shadows behind him, untouched by the creeping dawn light, morphed into dozens of deformed figures, each swaying as they walked with their arms loose. Pairs of florescent eyes stared at him and his men, waiting for the one order to kill them all. Their ghastly, grey-tarnished mail rang like bells as they moved to stand before the men that pointed their swords at them.

"I do not bargain with sorcerers," Arthur sneered, drawing one sword from his waist and holding it before him, the point aimed at Vaeturthingor.

"Very well," the sorcerer said, raising his right hand to Arthur and his men. "_Doúloush mou, toush epitithentai, toush skoteonoun!_"

The sorcerer's army of the dead, possessed by the darkest of spirits, lunged forward at the armed men. When their limbs were hacked away, they would bend down and replace them and attack again until their deathly, coarse hands were around the knights' throats and they snapped necks or ripped throats out.

-x-

Uther stood in the main council chamber, discussing the issue of the sorcerer with his court when the doors swung hastily inward and Prince Arthur stalked into the chamber. The prince was cradling his right arm against his chest as he walked in, hiding a limp. There was dirt smeared across his face and his hair was pushed back, soaked with drying sweat.

"Arthur, what happened?" Uther asked, setting down the roll of parchment in his hand. He crossed the chamber with swift steps and guided his son over to a chair one of the court members graciously stood from.

Sitting down and wincing at his father's firm grasp on his shoulder, Arthur replied, "We encountered the sorcerer in Riverdell. He goes by the name of Vaeturthingor. He has an army, sire, an army of the dead. We could not scathe any of them. What limbs fell they put back on like nothing happened. I've never faced the like."

Lifting his hand off of Arthur's shoulder, Uther rubbed his chin as he thought, pacing back and forth as the chamber erupted with the council members' murmurs. "How many of you returned to Camelot?" the king asked, averting his son's weary, wincing gaze.

"Myself, Sir Leon, and Sir Bedievere," Arthur sighed attempting to roll his shoulder, but his arm stayed still against his chest. "Everyone else is dead."

Uther nodded, thinking deeply and for a long period of time. There chances were slim to nothing against an immortal army, but they had to meet the threat and defend against it, even if it meant leading men into certain death. "You will prepare the men for battle. This _Vaeturthingor_ will come to Camelot and we must be ready for him," the king said, running a gloved hand through his short, greying hair.

The chamber fell silent as the king left the chamber, his cloak skimming across the wood floor before the door sealed it from view. Everyone knew what awaited them when the immortal army reached Camelot: certain death and slavery.

-x-

Merlin held Kadian in his arms, her head was hot against his chest. He could feel her heat through his tunic, it was like a raging fire, burning her from in the inside out. "Kadian?" he asked, caressing her burning cheek with one hand.

"Merlin?" Kadian replied weakly. She was exhausted, Merlin could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice, but she could not sleep; he had stayed up with her all night, watching over her and holding her to him hoping that it would do some good before the disease grew worse. The medicine Gaius had administered had stopped her shaking and alleviated her terrible headache, but that was all the physician accomplished. This was a magical illness and the only way to cure it would be through magical means; so far, all the spells Merlin had tried had failed or made it worse.

By Kadian's feet rested the magic book that Azura had given them. They found that the book contained more spells of healing and quelling than the one Gaius had given to Merlin. The book's contents matched that of its title: _Pure Enchantments_, only good, _pure_ spells were inscribed on the pages. "How are you holding?" Merlin asked, pressing his cheek against the top of her head and tightening his hold on her slightly.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" Kadian asked, turning the page of the book with her foot, a talent she had found she held that night.

"I won't let that happen," Merlin stated, reading the spells on the new pages. He murmured one and felt Kadian's entire body stiffen before it returned to the state it had been, burning. "I promise, I won't let that happen."

"You should be looking for a way to defeat the army rather than find me a cure," Kadian sighed, turning the page again.

Merlin remained silent and read the next pages that she turned to.

Suddenly, Gaius came into his chamber, throwing his turtle-shell bag onto his bench as he went over to check Kadian's fever. He grimaced at how high it was and shouted at Merlin for not keeping cool water on her head. Kadian had grown irritated with water dripping into her eyes and told Merlin to stop. "There must be something that you can do, Merlin, to stop this army," Gaius mused, placing a cloth damp with water on Kadian's head; she seemed to relax instantly. "The scouts have spotted them on the northern plains. It will not belong until they reach the gates."

"We're _trying_ Gaius!" Merlin exclaimed as Kadian turned the page and coughed hoarsely and deathly. "How often to you _need_ a spell to disperse souls from stolen dead corpses?"

"Merlin, quiet," Kadian sigh slowly, hearing his rant two times the volume it was said in. Then, a thought came into the forefront of her mind and she sat up with a start, startling them both with how quick she moved. "Would Azura know something? You told me that elven magic is very different than regular magic."

Gaius sat back in the stool he sat in and looked up at the ceiling as he thought. "There have been many fables that recall elves defeating great evils far beyond normal magical beings. I would not say that she would know anything to stop Vaeturthingor."

"Isn't it worth trying, Gaius?" Kadian asked and coughed hoarsely again, this time her entire book quaked as she did.

"_Apomakrúnetai to nekrikey baexa, to phriktó thrúpsala, kai teyn epistrophey Kadian teyn téleia ugeia_," Merlin mumbled, running his hand down Kadian's back as she hunched forward, coughing uncontrollably.

Kadian fell onto her side as Merlin's lips ended the enchantment, motionless and unresponsive when her name was called. There was no heartbeat in her chest, no shallow breaths expelling from her nose or mouth; she was dead. Merlin's heart stopped too and his hands came up to his face as he saw what he had done; he had killed her when trying to cure her.

But then, Kadian sat up with a start, gasping for air that she had been deprived of for too long. Colour had returned to her pale face and her eyes once again were full of life. She was no longer shaking and her body did not feel like it was on fire. For the first time since yesterday morning, Kadian felt perfectly healthy and ready to run around in circles because she knew that she could without dying. She turned to Merlin and lowered his hands from his face and kissed him deeply, a kiss that made Gaius look away because he did not want to watch.

"Merlin," Kadian said, pulling her face away from his, "you name it, it's yours." She rose to her feet and wobbled as her balance shook. But, she kept her footing, and with Merlin's help, she left the chamber.

-x-

They threw open the door to Azura's chamber and rushed it, taking in the sight of the dreary chamber before approaching the bed. Tucked under Merlin's arm was the spell-book and he opened it on the desk, flipping to a page with a spell that could help. The dragon's warning was ringing in her mind as she scanned the page, memorizing the proper pronunciation of the spell. Kadian wondered why the dragon had warned her so nastily not to use any magic to wake Azura up. "_Xupneysoun kai na epistrépsoun ston kósmo_," Kadian incanted before Merlin could completely understand how to translate the spell.

Nothing seemed to happen and Kadian turned back to the page of the spell-book, checking that she did say it correctly.

A gasp rang through the room and Kadian and Merlin spun around, ready to muttered a second enchantment to protect themselves if need. But their tense muscles relaxed when their eyes fell upon Azura sitting up, her eyes wide with fright with her hair a complete rats' nest on her temple. There was something different, something peculiar about Azura that made Kadian very cautious as she crossed the chamber. "Azura?" she whispered softly, holding her hands up and open as she approached, showing she meant no harm.

Azura's head whipped to Kadian as she was on her feet in a flash, slowly stalking toward Kadian. Her bright-eyes were surprising dark, evil as her expression was twisted and psychotic. Kadian did not have a chance to move and Azura's fingers coiled around her throat; it was then Kadian noticed that Azura's knuckles were bleeding with all the skin torn off, exposing the bloody, ivory bone.

"Azura, listen to me..." Kadian gasped.

Merlin run to them and went to push Azura away, but the opposite occurred and he went flying across the chamber, his back hitting against the opposite wall.

Kadian stared deep into Azura's dark eyes, trying to read what was going on inside her mind, but all she could read was torture and betrayal, something that could not have happened; Azura had been in her chamber all this time. "Azura, it's me, Kadian!" she exclaimed, prying Azura's grip off. "You're in Camelot, in your chamber. We aren't going to hurt you."

Merlin rose to his feet and ran over, pushing Kadian behind him as he began to murmur an enchantment.

"I... I know..." Azura managed to say as she fell to her knees before Merlin could finish his enchantment. "You... you need to stay far from me."

Kadian stepped around Merlin, telling him to get Gaius, but Merlin refused to go. Slowly, Kadian walked to Azura and dropped to her knees to be level with her friend, who was weeping now with her hands clasped around her face. They were tears of utter joy, and Kadian could not fathom why they were.

Azura fell onto her side and brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, finally feeling safe for the first time in a long while. It was all over; she was free, but there was still an urge to do things that she refused. She shook and closed her eyes, taking one, deep breath.

Kadian placed a hand on Azura's arm; her skin was cold as ice. "Azura... we need your help."

Azura remained quiet, breathing deeply and self-relaxing. Her knuckles were swollen and they stung as they flexed around her legs and they started to bleed again. There was little sense in her mind, it was jumping from thought to thought, from energy to energy that thrived in the chamber.

"Azura, we _know_ who you are... _what_ you are. There is an immortal army coming to Camelot, brought to life by the power of Necromancy. We need to know how to stop them before more people die," Kadian explained, rubbing her friends arm to make it warm, it was a lost cause. "Zu, please."

Then, Azura began to laugh madly and her grip on her legs loosened. Her eyelids pulled away, leaving her blue eyes staring up at Kadian in a cynical manner. "What do you _know_ about me?" she sneered, rubbing her fingers over her bleeding knuckles as she sat up; it took a lot of energy, some she did not have, but she managed to sit up. Her gaze switched to Merlin who was standing directly behind Kadian, waiting for her to make the wrong move.

"That you're an elf," Kadian replied in a whisper.

"Ha!" Azura cackled, running her bloody hands through her wild hair, her eyes screaming with her insanity. "_Half-_elf, _half_!"

"Azura... you want to be quiet about that..." Kadian grumbled. "Do you know how to stop the army?"

"The army?"

"Of the dead possessed by demonic spirits."

"Oh, right. What about it?"

Some of her marbles must have been lost, Kadian thought as she stared into Azura's eyes, examining them with interest. Now she understood why they were so mystical, why they changed unnaturally at times, Azura had magic, was magic. But then, Kadian noticed something strange, something that was never there before. There was a faint, crooked line of midnight blue that jutted from the pupil and across the irises. "Merlin, go get Gaius," Kadian said, unsure of what the midnight blue meant, but she knew that it was not Azura's injuries that had kept her unconscious all this time.

"I'm not..." Merlin protested.

"Don't make that an order, Merlin," Kadian hissed, turning her eyes onto him. "She won't harm me."

Reluctantly, Merlin stepped toward the ajar door and left, sweeping his eyes once more across Azura and Kadian.

When he was gone and the door was shut, Kadian turned to Azura and help her to her wobbly feet that gave out and she landed on the bed. Azura was wincing in pain and curled up again, breathing to alleviate the stinging, sharp pain. "To stop the spirits, you need to separate them from... their new hosts. There are... many of them and they are... powerful," Azura said through her clenched teeth.. "Magic is but words of a language; if the proper words are strung together..." She winced. "They can stop anything. I can give you a sentence that may work."

"So, you lied to me. You said you didn't know magic," Kadian grumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, I said my magic is not strong enough," Azura corrected, wincing as she moved her fingers. "In time...(she winced) we will talk about those things. Get me something to write on and with. Quickly." Her skull was pounded like a hammer on nails; she could not stay this sane for much longer.

Nodding, Kadian ran over to the desk that lie underneath the shelf on which Azura's father's crown and sword lay. She pulled open a drawer and retrieved a piece of parchment, then brought it and a quill and inkwell to Azura, who had managed to sit up, but still hunched with her arms tightly grasping her midsection.

Shakily, Azura took the quill and the parchment, scribbling something in a writing that Kadian had never seen before. The runes looked like many curlicues and blocks and several stray lines put together, forming a long, intricate sentence. Kadian wondered if it was Elvish. Azura threw the quill away and shoved the parchment toward Kadian. "There..." she said and fell back, her arms cradling her head. "Go... Kadian, before I can't stop it."

"Stop what?" Kadian asked, folding the parchment to be easily hidden in her palm. "What happened to you?"

Azura's head jerked to the right, rolling her entire body onto her right side, moaning in pain and closing her eyes. Gaius rushed into the chamber, tossing his turtle-shell bag onto the edge of the bed and moving Kadian out of his way. He took Azura's face in his hands and held it still as he pulled by her eyelids to look at her eyes' reaction to the light. He let her eyes shut again and stood straight, stiff as a board.

"What is it, Gaius? What's wrong with her?" Kadian asked, stepping away, toward the door. Merlin came up behind her and said nothing as he saw Gaius standing stiff like he had been petrified.

The court physician slowly let his eyes fall upon the writhing Azura, who was tossing and turning with her hands clasped against her head, soundless screams escaping her parted lips. The first thought that came to him was _how?_, and then _why?_. "She's been cursed," Gaius said, his voice grim and cold. He never used that tone of voice before, and it scared Kadian. Suddenly, Gaius turned to Kadian and Merlin. "Stop the army. I will see what I can do. Do not tell anyone about this."

Merlin took Kadian's hand and led her from the chamber; she stood paralysed ever since the word "cursed" rolled off Gaius' tongue. The army bringing impending doom was more important than relieving Azura of the torture of her curse, but Kadian's heart was heavy; she felt indirectly responsible for Azura's pain, for a reason she did not know.

-x-

Merlin reached up for Gaius' text on ancient runes, and placed it down onto the physician's messy bench, opening it to the proper page with the inscriptions of the same, elven script that Azura had scribbled onto the piece of parchment. The alphabet of the Elves was very complex and it took several times to try and match sounds to the scribbled symbols. Kadian found the position of the sounds very odd and unique, different from any magic language she had ever heard before. As she placed sounds to the runes, she wondered why Azura's mother had not written any elvish spells in her magic-book; perhaps it was forbidden.

"_Drewst l'vesdrac lu'kus mina rath ulu vel'klar nind doerrus_," Kadian murmured, rolling her eyes as she was finally able to pronounce the spell. The sounds felt awkward coming from her mouth, foreign and not her own. Even Merlin second guessed himself when he spoke.

Closing the text, Kadian turned to Merlin as if to say something, but she was lost for words. Everything had happened so quickly and all at once. When one problem was solved, another emerged, it was a circle, a cycle that was never-ending.

The warning bell echoed throughout Camelot: the army had arrived led by Vaeturthingor, ready to slaughter and enslave them all. Kadian and Merlin exchanged looks, flinching at the sudden ringing. They had great doubts that they would fail Camelot, but despite those doubts, they ran from the chamber.

-x-

The sky was cast in dark, dreary greys from low, towering and suspicious clouds that lined the grim horizon. There were no rays of golden sunlight seeping through the thick clouds; Camelot was cast in heavy, pulsing shadows that danced as the knight of Camelot raced through the barren streets with pikeman wielding shining torches. The people of the lower town had been evacuated from their homes and were hidden within the safe-houses that were near the palace. All men with their own weapons were allowed to fight alongside the nights, they would need all the assistance they could get with fighting the immortal. Many had prayed before venturing out to battle, others garbed their armour with lucky charms, like rabbit feet, to protect them from evil spirits.

And now, it was the moment of truth. Merlin and Kadian slipped passed the stationed guards at the palace walls, running swiftly against the earth damp with the light shower early that day. The guard tower was where they were heading; it was high enough to shield their faces and the perfect spot to cast their spell onto all of the animated corpses. All they had to worry about was Vaeturthingor sensing them and stopping the spell before it was cast.

While running through the gloomy streets, Merlin and Kadian decided who was to cast the elvish spell and who would standby to fend off Vaeturthingor if he dared to show his face. Kadian would say the spell, they decided, and Merlin would be ready for the enemy sorcerer.

The steps to the peak of the guard tower where wide and spiralling, seeming to be a never-ending path to the clouds. To their luck, only two scouts were stationed in the tower, flickering torches to signal the knights and men down below. Coming up from behind, Merlin struck the scouts on the back of their heads with a piece of wood, a two-by-four, and dragged them down several steps.

Kadian gazed out at the forest and mountains beyond Camelot. The landscape was coated in dark, ugly shadows, hiding the purity that the sun always brought out. She could see the army, they were breaking down the gates and soon, they succeeded and poured into the lower town, smashing and smothering whatever was in their path. She heard Arthur's voice over the eerie howls of the spirits, ordering his men to attack and so they did, charging with their swords high and sharp and their sinew, their strength, guiding them into the battle. The cloak sorcerer was not among his army that tore through the knights of Camelot.

"Now, Kadian. Before too many die," Merlin said, resting a hand on her shoulder and kissing her softly on the cheek. "You can do it." Then, she stepped away, glancing around at their surroundings and the blood-bath below where the bravest of men screamed like women as they were run through. Where was Vaeturthingor?

"_Drewst l'vesdrac lu'kus-_" Kadian hissed, lifting her hand over the railing of the guard tower, toward the army that swarmed like bees into her city. Behind her, she heard Merlin incant a spell and a _zap_ping, _hiss_ing noise rang through the tower as his magic flowed from his outreached hand.

Vaeturthingor grinned through the shadows of the hood of his cloak, his dark eyes glowing like haunting stars. He threw open his cloak and swept it through Merlin's spell and engulfing the magic into the shadows against his body. "So, what would two sorcerers like yourselves be doing all the way up here?" he asked his voice hoarse and dark. "Y'see, I could sense you miles before I was within the proximity of Camelot. Of course, I never thought you'd dare try to stop me. Now, I implore you to cease you meagre spells and hear me. There is power and there is great power in this world; together, we can harness the greatest power of the realm. You will be spared from death, you and few others I sense within the palace, as long as you join me and rule all of Albion at my side."

"Never," Merlin growled and muttered another enchantment that was swallowed by Vaeturthingor's cloak. "Now, Kadian!" Again, he said his enchantment.

"_Drewst l'vesdrac lu'kus mina rath ulu vel'klar nind doerrus!_" Kadian exclaimed. She felt a strange, powerful magic awaken and surge through her core, changing her irises to pure, raw silver, and directed out through her extended finger tips. Her voice was unfamiliar like someone was possessing her, high-pitched and echoing and echoing until her lips pressed together in a firm line. The strange sound that expelled from her lips bounced off the many walls of the lower town, piercing through the advancing immortals that had once fought along side the knights of Camelot in a passed life.

Vaeturthingor turned and stared out at his army, one he had babied and placed on the highest of pedestals; and now the army fell, crumbling apart, shattering like glasses as Kadian's foreign words struck them like thousands of tiny daggers, forcibly tearing out the possessing demons and tossing them back into their shadows where they belong. The sorcerer did not feel defeat and threw back the hood of his cloak, his raven locks being tossed back by a chill wind as he turned his dark eyes onto Merlin who had put a hand in front of Kadian to stop her from stumbling forward.

-x-

As the spirits broke away from their hosts, the illusions over the rotted bodies and bones faded and they fell to the earth, limp and cold a stone. Arthur lowered his sword, feeling the pain in his arm shoot up and down. He was bleeding from his sides and he winced as he gazed around at his fallen and standing warriors. All were confused, wondering what had happened to their invulnerable foe.

-x-

"So," Vaeturthingor murmured, "you have a friend in high places. I applaud you, my lady, for having the power to use such magic. You and your servant have one more chance to surrender to me, or die." With a quick pull, he untied his cloak and let it fall to the floor.

Kadian giggled that Vaeturthingor called Merlin her servant. "You do not frighten me," she replied as Merlin wrapped his hand around Kadian's, squeezing it tightly. They shared the same thought for that moment, that moment alone. It was one spell, one spell that you destroy Vaeturthingor, but they needed to time it properly. Cautiously, Merlin and Kadian moved toward the spiral staircase and Vaeturthingor matched their rightward movements; they circled each other, waiting for one to make the one move that could end them.

Vaeturthingor was before the railing now, his back to the curious warriors below. He raised his left hand and his lips formed a vile enchantment, one that lifted off his tongue like a snake's hiss.

But, Merlin and Kadian were quicker, with a much smaller spell that was less complicated.

"_Phusaema tou anemou!_" Merlin shouted.

"_Kleisoun to stoma_," Kadian echoed. With their free hands forward, their magic channelling at the same pace and fierce with energy. Their eyes were gold and silver.

A gale of wind picked up and screeched as it soared toward the enemy sorcerer; and Vaeturthingor's voice was drowned into silence. Without able to speak the rest of his enchantment, he stumbled back as the gale hit him square and over the railing he plummeted.

Slowly, Kadian and Merlin lowered their hands waiting to hear the sound that ended this nightmare that haunted Camelot. It was a hollow echo that boomed throughout Camelot the barren streets off Camelot. Screeches from unseen forces screamed to the dark clouds, dispersing them like they were the evil spirits themselves.

Then, the sun began to shine, brilliant and golden, shedding its magnificent rays onto the shadows, killing them all in seconds. The sun held the greatest magic of all, that could vanquish even the darkest of foes: light.

It was over, the nightmare was done. Kadian embraced Merlin and he held her tightly. Their beating hearts shared the same rhythm and quickened when they shared a quick kiss. They could hear the unconscious scouts stirring and the raced down the winding staircase, out of sight.

-x-

Uther rewarded the two scouts in the watchtower for defeat Vaeturthingor; even though they seemed to stare at him blankly when he asked how they had accomplished such a feat. Hesitantly and softly, one of the scouts said they had quietly came up behind him and pushed him off, driving a dagger into his back. It was good enough to suffice and they received a wonderful treasure of many gold pieces that lit up their greedy eyes.

Kadian, sitting in a chair, watched as the scouts took their reward greedily and bounded out of the chamber happy as can be. She found it comical that they were paid for her and Merlin's handiwork, their use of illegal magic. Although Kadian thought that the scouts could have come up with a better story, she thanked them kindly, saying that her illness was cured because of their actions.

Arthur, however, seemed less impressed and even sceptical when they were telling their false tale, but he did not care to find out what really happened. His right arm was in a linen sling and Gaius had bound his side in bandages, and he seemed uncomfortable as he stood to his father's left.

Then as the court and those present in the chamber turned to return to their everyday routine, Gaius stepped closer to Uther, beckoning him over. "There is an urgent matter I must speak to you about, my lord," the physician said, his voice low, a near-whisper.

"What is it, Gaius?" Uther asked annoyed.

"Its the Lady Azura, sire," Gaius replied, keeping his voice quiet. "She's..." The words he wanted to say were difficult to form, but they needed to be said to prevent certain danger. He had administered several potions that would keep Azura's unconscious for several hours, but would that be enough.

"Spit it out, Gaius," Uther growled, growing impatient. But then, his scowl faded as he looked passed the court physician and at the open doors.

In the doorway, Azura stood in a white dress, her hair up and clean, and her face full of colour. Kadian was on her feet quick, glancing over at Gaius who slowly turned to see what had caused the silence that had befallen the chamber. Gaius' eyes widened and he took in a harsh breath, waiting for the worst to come.

The king stepped away from the physician and toward Azura, who met him half-way in his stride. Kadian caught her breath, letting her stay in her chest until she could no longer hold it and breathed again. But then, Uther embraced Azura, kissing the top of her forehead. It was the first time Kadian had ever seen Uther care for anyone other than himself; he was so relieved and one might say happy.

Then, Uther released Azura and brought her over to Kadian and Arthur. Hesitantly, Kadian embraced Azura and was shocked to feel Azura return the embrace. Azura stepped free of Kadian's arms and turned to Arthur, who was stunned to see her walking, breathing, and alive. They just stared at each other, waiting for the other to do something until finally Azura wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck and he slung his good arm across her back. They stayed in the position for several moments, until Kadian saw Azura turned her eyes on to her, dark and possessed with a stare that frightened her.

It was not Kadian Azura was staring at, but something that no one else could see but her. In left corner of the chamber, cloaked in shadows, stood a slender figure, garbed in a skimpy, dark skirt and top that cover only its chest. The figure was of a woman, but not of a human woman. She had grey skin and long, wisp, raven locks that curtained her angular face. Her ears her pointed at the tips, sharp like daggers. The elf grinned, her midnight-blue eyes watching Azura step away from Arthur.

"_Enjoy it, while you can,_" the elf said. Perhaps it was just a figure of Azura's wild mind, but all she knew was this: the elf's voice was the whisper that had haunted her for days, torturing her until she bled in the real world.

-x-

**{Anoizete autesh ieroush tepoush anapausesh... Lambanoun mono ta pteoomata... teoon andreoon kai teoon metaphireoon ton eauto mou kai toush nekroush apo tish katakombesh tou skotoush.}**

_Open these holy resting places. Take only the corpses of men and transport myself and the dead from the catacombs of darkness._

**{Kaleo ta skoteiná pneúmata. Ta pneúmata teon palion, ta pneúmata teon neon. Tha sash deoseo néa oikodespótesh, oi opoíoi apoteloún tey megalúterey pteosey polemistésh stey gey, teon opoieon pneúmata éxoun perásei pro polloú. Eláte, sash zeteo. Párte autó phoreísh, ópeosh to dikó sash kai na kánete prosphorá mou. Kaleo to skoteivnó pneúmata teon palaieon kai teon néon. Eláte teora.}**

_I call upon the dark spirits. The spirits of old, the spirits of new. I give you new hosts, who are the greatest fallen warriors in the land, whose spirits have long since passed. Come, I demand you. Take this bodies as your own and do my bidding. I call upon the dark spirits of old and new. Come now._

**{****Doúloush mou, toush epitithentai, toush skoteonoun.****}**

_My slaves, attack them, kill them._

**{****Apomakrúnetai to nekrikey baexa, to phriktó thrúpsala, kai teyn epistrophey Kadian teyn téleia ugeia**.**}**

_Eliminate the deathly cough, the horrible shivers, and return Kadian to perfect health._

**{Xupneysoun kai na epistrépsoun ston kósmo}**

_Wake up and return to the world._

_**{Drewst l'vesdrac lu'kus mina rath ulu vel'klar nind doerrus.}**_

_**Thank you Chosen of Eilstraee Site for Translation**_

_Remove the souls and send them back to where they came._

**{Phusaema tou anemou.}**

_Gust of wind._

**{Kleisoun to stoma.}**

_Silence him._

_**Next time on **_**Forbidden Magic and Desires****_ :_**

_**Morgana has frightening dream that startles those close to her when the main villain in her dream comes to Camelot. A strong relationship is broken as Arthur unknowingly falls for a girl he rescued in the forest. Can Kadian stop Arthur's impending doom before Azura looses control over what sanity she has left and takes matters into her own hands?**_


	9. Episode Eight: The Gates of Avalon

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

The sky grew dark and thousands of tiny, little stars emerged from their sleeping places, twinkling brightly like dazzling gems. The lower town was silent other than the faint crackling of fires that kept the homes warm. Torches in the palace flickered against the walls, whipping their flames against the shadows.

_He was drowning in green, murky water where a glow burst from the depths beneath him. He neither fought the water nor struggled to breathe, was he already lost? Above him, a slender woman held out her hand. Her caramel hair framed her face, inlaid with pearl pins. She stared down, watching him as he died. Her hazel eyes were beaming with pride. But then, the vision flickered and an arrow pierced through the woman's eye, killing her and spraying her blood into the air._

Morgana sat up with a start, letting loose a petrified scream that rang throughout the palace.

-x-

Two guards walked down the corridor and around the corner.

Kadian peered around the corner of an alcove, checking to see that the coast was clear. Relieved, she walked swiftly down the corridor and up a small staircase where a posted sign that said: _Court Physician_. Pushing the door open, Kadian slipped into the chamber, startling Gaius and Merlin who ate their supper in silence. They looked up at her as she kicked the door shut, and Gaius raised an eyebrow. "Kadian," he said softly as he set his spoon down, "I didn't expect you to come by this evening."

"I know," Kadian said apologetically as she crossed the chamber; she smiled at Merlin. "But, it happened again, Gaius. I don't think we can keep this a secret any longer."

"We have to for her own protection," Gaius replied and rose to his feet, taking the bowl in his hand. He brought it to his bench where he would wash it clean later. "If Uther knew that she was under the influence of the curse, he would take drastic measures."

"At least then we could find the person who did this to her!" Kadian hissed, slamming a fist on the table, causing Merlin's bowl to jump. Then, she calmed herself with a deep breath as Merlin folded his hand around hers, stroking her skin with his thumb. "Gaius, I can't take seeing her like this. She's being tortured and I know that she is strong, but... I don't think there's enough strength in her left."

Sighing, Gaius looked toward the ceiling in deep thought, searching his mind for anything that could aid them in this mystery. Merlin met Kadian's eyes that were somewhere between upset, angry, and worried for what was to come. He could tell by the way her eyes stared absently through him that there was more on her mind than just the curse. As he watched her unconsciously comb her fingers through her hair and tuck the loose strands behind her ears, it came to him so fast like it had been an arrow shot from a crossbow with a note attached to it. "What about Larka McAlister?" he asked aloud. "She and Azura did necessarily play nicely."

Kadian turned to Merlin and Gaius raised an eyebrow. Larka McAlister was the only child of Sir Anthony, one of Uther's most trusted knights, and she and Azura, a long while back, had been at each other's throats with their words. She was the only person that Kadian saw that was able to get underneath Azura's skin like she had. "Larka? She can't be an enchantress... it doesn't make any sense, Merlin. They may not have like each other, but I don't think Larka is the type to curse, if she even had magic to begin with."

Gaius thought for a moment, letting Kadian's soft voice fade away with the echo of his chamber. "I left Azura alone only for a few minutes when the knights returned from hunting the griffin. It had to be then and only then," he sighed and turned to his bench, taking the bowl in his hand again.

Kadian was at a loss; Larka had left Camelot with Lancelot weeks ago, she could be anywhere in Albion by now and it would be pointless to waste the resources to track her down for interrogation. It was getting late and if she wanted to return to her chambers unseen, she had to leave then. "Goodnight, Merlin," she said, kissing him once on the cheek and then again on the lips, passionately and sweet; not caring that he tasted like his supper.

With a graceful stride, she went to the door and pulled it open. But before she proceeded through the doorway, Kadian paused and spun around. "Gaius." she said.

"Kadian?" Gaius sighed, seemingly annoyed, and turned to her.

"Morgana had another nightmare."

-x-

"You are really no fun to spend time with," the shadow elf sighed, leaning off the back of a chair. Her raven hair swayed in the gentle night breeze as it seeped in through the ajar window. "You are tired and every time I move, you throw something a me. Is that really how you would treat a friend?"

"You are no friend of mine," Azura growled from her seat on the windowsill without a glance over in the girl's direction. A hand was pressed against her head as her fingers massaged her temple, trying hard to remove the siring pain that spiked at every blink. Every time she shifted her gaze, she felt dizzy like she was going to faint, the chamber would spin and she would grip something to keep herself from falling over.

The elf leapt to her feet so fast that Azura swore that her feet never hit the floor as she crossed the room. "You need to sleep," the girl said, brushing the back of her grey hand against Azura's cheek. "Dearie, you can only avoid the truth for only so long."

Azura brushed the elf's hand away and shut the window, drawing the curtains and sealing the chamber in complete darkness. "The truth is simple: if you do not leave me, you will be forced to leave," Azura hissed, walking around the girl's figure and took a seat on the nicely-made bed that had not been slept in since she recovered consciousness.

"Ooh, is that a threat?" the girl grinned darkly. "Sounds like fun."

-x-

Arthur crouched down low in the cover of trees with a crossbow in his hand; sunlight poured into the wood in golden rays through the roves of the trees. For him, hunting was the best way to ease a troubled mind; it was killing for a good cause. A twig snapped and he raised the loaded crossbow to eye level, aiming the arrow at a doe that grazed only a few feet away, unaware of the danger lurking in the cover of the brush. It ripped off a bunch of luscious, emerald grass and chewed it blindly.

The prince's finger slowly started to pull back the trigger to set the arrow loose. "What is it?" An utterly annoying voice asked, startling not only the deer Arthur had spotted that morning, but the prince as well. Two dead possums found the side of Arthur's head as his irritating manservant stumbled in on his hiding spot.

"_Merlin!_" Arthur growled, pushing his servant away from his as he rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized.

"Who are you telling that to? Me or the deer? Honestly, Merlin, you are a total buffoon," Arthur grumbled, looking off in the direction where the single doe had been grazing. Of course, Merlin had scared it off and possibly the rest of its herd that were being extremely evasive that morning.

A panicked cry echoed through the redwood trees and Arthur glanced around, snatching his sheath that Merlin held in his cluttered grasp. The prince ran ahead, leaving Merlin to stumble after him with his catch and weapons.

-x-

"Please, sir! I beg you mercy!" a weary voice of an old man shouted. He was thrown to the ground as a shriek escaped a young woman who struggled to pull away from three men. They were outnumbered two to four and they held no weapons on their person.

Arthur took aim with the crossbow, firing an arrow at the man that towered over the old man. The man fell back, his sword slipping from his grasp, and landed heavily, limp. The prince threw the crossbow to the ground and drew his sword, tossing the scabbard away. He ran ahead and sword met steel as one of men holding onto the girl released his grasp and swung a silver blade at Arthur.

The prince ducked underneath the man's arm, sliding his gait behind the man's stance, and elbowed him square in the back, sending him to the ground. Raising his sword, Arthur met a second man in combat as the last two released the girl. Steel clashed against steel and once the second man fell to the ground by an elbow to the back of the head, Arthur's sword met another as it slashed through the crisp air.

Merlin watched Arthur battle with the group of men as if they were pesky flies. He glanced over at a man that was on the ground, who stirred from his short period of unconsciousness. Arthur was oblivious to the man's arousal and could not see the man as he silently stalked the prince from behind, preparing to grab hold of him in a headlock and let his colleague kill him. Without a second thought, Merlin gazed up at the lonely branch that lay above the man. At the command of a soft enchantment, the thick branch broke free from its tree and plummeted to the ground, crushing the man.

His opponent lunged forward with the point of his sword eagerly waiting to end the meddling Arthur's life. Arthur quickly reacted, only distracted by the tree branch for a mere second; he parried the blow to the side and leapt back as the man reared with a slash to his gut. Sword met sword and Arthur's swept the silver blade out of the man's hand, giving Arthur the opportunity for a well-aimed blow. The man's life ended before he could utter a cry for mercy.

Arthur removed the blade from the man's limp body and turn to face the remaining man who stared at the prince with his eyes bugging out of their sockets and his jaw to the ground. With a challenging grin etched on his face, Arthur spun his sword in his hand, beckoning for the man to be his next opponent. In the blink of an eye, the remaining man turned and fled from the scene, knowing that he, too, would meet his death if he were to cross blades with Arthur.

With the man clearly on the run, Arthur gazed up at the sight where the branch had broken free. "Stroke of luck," he mumbled under his breath before stepping over the crushed man and setting his gorgeous gaze upon the two he had rescued.

"And let _that_ be a lesson to you!" Merlin shouted as the man scurried away like a frightened little girl. Arthur stopped and gazed over at his servant, only shaking his head.

"Did they hurt you?" Arthur asked the two as he approached them with a sheathed blade. The girl pulled out of the old man's grasp and set her deep, hazel eyes on Arthur as she slowly lifted the hood of her golden cloak from her head.

"No," she smiled sweetly, batting her long lashes. Her brown hair was entwined with beads and pearls that framed her veiling beauty, and her golden gown brought out the brightness in her chaste eyes. "I am Sophia, this is my father."

"Arthur Pendragon," the prince smiled, seeming to be like her beauty instantly infatuated him.

Merlin noticed the look in Arthur's eyes and it frightened him slightly. Sure, she was pretty, but even he had to admit; Azura was a lot prettier than she. He watched in silence and confusion as Arthur leaned down to kiss the top of her hand, saying that he was at their service. _Kadian is not going to like this_, he thought, rolling his eyes.

-x-

Kadian gently tapped the back of her hand against the wooden door that sealed Azura inside in fear that she would further harm herself or someone inside the royal palace. "Azura, its Kadian, let me in," she cooed softly once her knocks received no reply.

"_Shut up_!" Kadian heard Azura growl from the inside.

"Excuse me?" Kadian replied, appalled at Azura's words.

"Oh, not you, Kadian," Azura replied with grit in the back of her tone.

The door slowly drifted inward, only pulling back on its hinges enough for Kadian to see Azura's tainted silhouette as it was mired with darkened blue eyes and eerie, looming shadows. "Can I come in? It's important," Kadian said, feeling sympathetic toward the unimaginable torture that her friend was enduring.

"It would be best if you remained far from here," Azura replied softly as she gritted her teeth.

"Zu, listen to me!" Kadian snapped, taking hold of the door before Azura could shut it. Forcibly, she thrust it inward and stepped into the darkened chamber. Instantly, the many candles on the candelabra spark to life, brightening the chamber with a dull, orange glow. There were clothes scattered across the floor around the base of the trunk and shards of broken glass beneath her bureau; the chamber seemed grim with heavy, dramatizing shadows in each of the corners. The curtains blocked out the blinding sun.

Kadian pulled over the stool from the desk and sat in front of the door, crossing both her legs and arms. "Sit," she demanded, lifting a finger off of her elbow to point at the perfectly made bed. The princesses had to be firm and precise with her words, for she feared that the curse could work around her words and cause her end.

Azura obeyed without question and sat on the edge of the bed, scowling that only she could see the elven girl skipping across the room to perch herself to Kadian's right with a grey, deathly hand caressing her cheek. "_Get away from her_," she growled.

"Zu, tell me what its doing to you. That's the only thing that can help me help you," Kadian chimed, leaning forward with hopeful eyes.

"Ah, ah, ah," the elf cackled, leaping to Azura and placing a firm hand over her pink lips, preventing her from speaking. "You would ruin all the fun if you just spat out every, little detail. I think that she already knows too much; what do you think, dearie?"

At the rush of anger that welled up with Azura, the shadow slipped inside, relieving Azura of the control over her limbs and thoughts. Kadian slammed against the door, her breath blocked by the tense grasp around her throat. It had all happened in a flash, Azura's eyes had darkened to near black and she moved at an impeccable speed, catching Kadian off-guard. "Zu... ple-ase..." Kadian stammered through the little space she had to make her voice come through. "Fi-ght... i-t."

Her face turned red, then purple. It was now only a matter of seconds before her life would be over and Camelot would be without a princess.

_Let go... LET GO!_

The tight fingers around Kadian's neck released their deathly grasp as Azura flew across the chamber, against the opposite wall as the shadow was expelled from her body and back to its elven-girl form. Kadian slid down the door, resting her head back as she gasped for air. Her eyes stared directly at Azura, preparing for a second attack. The princess relaxed as Azura's hands clasped the side of her head and as she groaned in pain against her flushed face, wincing with her eyes pressed firmly together. "I'm... sorry," Azura managed to say.

"It's alright," Kadian sighed, rubbing her neck to get feeling back in it.

"You should go," Azura said. "For both our sakes."

Hesitantly, Kadian nodded and rose to her feet. Never before had she seen someone move as fast as Azura had. Had she said something that triggered the curse? "Zu, I came to tell you that Morgana had another nightmare," she said as she unlocked the door, averting Azura's pained gaze as her eyelids parted. "She saw Arthur drowning and a girl in gold standing above him, watching him die. The girl... she was killed by an arrow ... from your bow." Kadian did not dare to say more and closed the door behind the back of her blue gown. She had barely escaped with her life that time, would anyone survive the next encounter?

-x-

Kadian strolled through the castle halls with no intention of going anywhere or to anyone; her mind swam with riddled question after question, hoping that one would answer the other and solve all of their upcoming problems. The future that Morgana saw was so far over the horizon it was too close. One of her brother's knights approached her from behind and Kadian shrieked and knocked him to the ground, preparing to reveal her secret to every being in Camelot. "I am so sorry!" she said, placing her soft hands against her cheeks as she realized what she had done.

"The fault is all mine, m'lady," the knight said as he rose to his feet. By his curly brown hair and brown eyes, Kadian was able to put a name to his startled face: Sir Anthony McAlister. "Your brother, prince Arthur, has arrived from his hunting trip and has requested a meeting with the king and the court. You have been summoned by your father."

"Thank you, Anthony," Kadian smiled even as she remembered that he fathered Larka McAlister, the girl who wanted nothing more than to see Azura die.

-x-

The audience with the king went by quickly, and Kadian found herself very aggravated by the time she was relieved from standing to her father's left. All her brother did was glance over at Sophia with the intrigued eyes that he always had when Azura was within his sight. She barged into his chamber as he and Merlin were discussing which room Sophia would be given for the time that she stayed in Camelot by Uther's personal request.

"If your intentions are honourable, then, what is the problem with her staying in the room right next to yours?" Merlin asked, completely oblivious to his own ignorance on the subject.

"There..." Arthur went to say.

"Azura," Kadian growled, slamming the door behind her as she shot two death-glares at Merlin and then Arthur. "Let me get this straight. You go _hunting_ and bring back a _girl_. Honestly, Arthur, what were you thinking?"

"She and her father were being attacked, I would not just stand there and let it happen," Arthur sighed, slipping his arms into his dark, studded jacket.

"Not about _that_, you stupid twit. You would have the nerve to even contemplate ... argh, you are such and idiot, do you know that? You're here, pondering where this stranger should stay the evening while Azura needs you more than anyone! For God's sake, Arthur!" Kadian hissed, turning to Merlin now. "And _you_ have the nerve to have his back on this."

"Kadian, my dear, sweet sister," Arthur said sweetly with a wide smile as he walked around his bed and slung an arm across his sister's shoulders. He gripped her shoulder tightly, guiding her around the chamber. She was not amused.

"Flattery is not going to help the lot of you," Kadian growled and elbowed him in the chest; he removed his arm and moved away.

"Kadian, just listen to me, won't you?" Arthur asked, stepping in front of his enraged sister. "I haven't forgotten about Azura, alright? I am just concerned that ... Sophia is still in shock from the raiders, I want her to feel as safe as possible."

Kadian gazed up at her brother with the I-know-that-you-are-lying look and turned to Merlin. "I suggest that you make sure Sophia is put in a safe room, we wouldn't want someone _with bad intentions_ to find her, now would we? Oh, and Arthur, make sure to choose you words more carefully. It may be the last thing you do," she grinned and turned to exit the chamber; she could feel Arthur's puzzled stare watching her, unsure of what her last comments meant, but apparently, Merlin did. As she shut the door, she wondered how the mess of the prince's chamber had yet to swallow Merlin whole.

-x-

With the day as young as it was, Kadian tended to her daily rounds, gave her father the report he needed on the local happenings, and went to find Morgana and Guinevere. She knocked on the door gently, not wanting to startle either of them and walked in with a smile as Gwen opened the door to see who was there. Morgana immediately turned at the sound of Kadian's soothing voice, embracing her with a tight hug. "I am glad you are here," she breathed as she stepped back, letting her arms fall back to the sides of her sapphire blue gown. "Were you able to talk to Azura?"

"Unfortunately, I was not able to get her input. Something I said triggered a reaction with the curse..."

"Are you alright?" Morgana gasped; she was the first to notice the pale red marks around Kadian's neck. "She didn't?"

"She did, but she was able to fight it off. I have a bad feeling that the girl from you dream is going to cause Zu to..." Kadian started but was unable to find the words to finish her thought; it was disturbing to think about Azura killing.

Morgana winced at the mention of the girl in her nightmare and turned away. She gazed out the window, smiling weakly at the serene sky and single cloud that was a white wisp. "Kadian..." Morgana paused, hearing her voice slip with fear. "The girl, she's here in Camelot."

"Are you sure? Who?" Kadian stepped forward curiously, raising a thin eyebrow. Perhaps, the future was closer than it seemed.

Morgana set her pale green eyes upon Kadian as they filled with grief and worry. "She is the girl that Arthur rescued from the forest," she stated and stepped forward, gripping Kadian desperately by the shoulders. Her voice was weak and wearying on the verge of sobs. "She cannot stay here, not with what I saw. She will be the death of him, Kadian! I can't let it happen!"

"Calm down, Morgana," Guinevere said gently as she took her mistress' hands and led her to the chair. "If you believe Arthur's life is in danger, why don't you tell Uther?"

"And tell him that I can see the future? You know what he will do," Morgana replied sharply and rose to her feet against Guinevere's wishes.

"You're his ward, he wouldn't harm you," Guinevere replied calmly with a curt shake of the head.

"He hates magic more than he cares for me," Morgana snapped with her brow furrowed..

"That's not true," Gwen protested disbelievingly; she had a tendency to see the best in the worst of people.

"Would you care to put it up to the test?" Kadian retorted as she raised a challenging eyebrow at Guinevere. She embraced Morgana whom she thought to be her sister. Gracious for the embrace, Morgana buried her face in Kadian's shoulder and Kadian stroked Morgana silky hair.

"But what else can you do?" Gwen wondered, looking from Kadian to Morgana.

"We are going to have to try and stop her ourselves," Morgana replied mono toned; she stared passed Kadian, freed from the embrace, with wide, absent eyes. There was never a time that Morgana thought that she would ever use those very words in a sentence together, but the time called for it. No matter what the cost, she was not going to let a selfish, little girl kill Arthur for whatever her reasons.

Kadian stared out the window that Morgana stood by as the sun descended across the Camelot horizon. So many riddles were hiding within the city's walls, not wanting to be stopped or found. A sudden fright came to mind, no doubt the same one that crossed Morgana's mind: _what about Azura?_

-x-

There was a gentle rasp against the door that made Azura flinch and fall from her seat on her windowsill. Hesitantly, she crossed the chamber, placing a firm hand on her head as the pain pulsed heavily against her skull. The elven girl, too, was startled by the knock and grinned at the thought of who their next guest was. Arthur had dropped in a long while ago and did not stay for as long as Azura would have liked; it had been the only part of the entire day that she did not have dying pain in her skull or the annoying chirp of the elf in her ear.

Slow as a snail, the door was pulled inward, revealing the court physician to be standing on the other side of the archway with a glass phial in his right hand. He look distraught as he stepped inside by invitation of Azura's fragile smile that quickly faded as ache forced her to sit. "Good evening, Gaius," she said softly as she massaged her temple with her fingers.

"I have brought you something, it should help with the pain," Gaius stated friendly and placed the phial on the desk.

"It will not stop, not until I succumb to her demands, you know that Gaius," Azura snapped harshly; she eyed the elven woman and then, the container on the desk. If only the solution to her problem was that simple: drinking liquid from a phial; but it was not and never could be.

"We are doing our best, my child," Gaius sighed, glancing around the room looking for one she had referred to. He never heard of such a curse that created an entity that would pressure its victim into going against her beliefs, but magic had no limits. "It is foreign magic, something that even _I_ cannot categorize. All I can proscribe is to keep fighting like it is a disease. I am sorry, Azura."

"_Sorry, sorry, sorry._ Is that _all_ these people can say?" the elf chimed from lounging on Azura's perfectly made bed. "If that word was a weapon, you would be dead by now."

"Thank you, Gaius, for everything," Azura replied sweetly, feigning an appreciative smile and forcing herself not to glare at the elf.

Gaius nodded his head and left the chamber, sensing the growing tension between Azura and her invisible nemesis. Ever since he found his calling in medicine, Gaius had trained himself to cure all to his power and watching from the sidelines as a patient suffered from a mysterious illness hurt him; all he could do was proscribe useless potions and the phrase: fight it.

The elven girl sat up and ran a grim hand through her long, black hair as a sigh escaped her blue lips. Her midnight-blue eyes gazed at Azura who had taken the phial and was now balancing it in her hand, contemplating pouring it down her throat in means to stop the siring throbs. "Why won't you take it? You'll feel much better," she grinned as she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and rose onto her bare feet.

"I don't know what it'll do to me." She glanced at the elf, noticing the similarities in their physique. They shared high cheekbones and dramatized features, but the elf was built stronger and had slanted ears and a much more angled face. "I don't want a loose mind."

"It's already lost."

-x-

Merlin entered Arthur's early that morning, maybe an hour after dawn. Arthur was already awake and watched as his manservant turned down his bed and piled the pillows onto one another. His mind was absent and he seemed to watch Merlin with great interest, but when he spoke, it was not the case.

"I'm taking Sophia out for the day, show her 'round a bit," Arthur stated, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"And where do I come into this?" Merlin asked as he rested his elbows against the down pillows and looked at Arthur with fake interest.

"Well, I am supposed to be on patrol with the guard and my father this morning. I need you to cover for me," Arthur replied hopefully, pushing off from where he leaned.

"And what? Lie to the King?" Merlin replied with a disgruntled look; his eyes were pleading for Arthur to say something that was opposite of the glint in his eyes. Arthur's stare was unrelenting. "He'd through me in the stocks before you could say 'rotten tomatoes'! Didn't you promise Azura that you'd spend a little more time with her once you were off patrol?"

"That's right..." Arthur paused and gazed passed Merlin, thinking of a second stage to his diabolical plan. "Tell her in a little while that my father told me to... you'll think of something." He took a step toward Merlin and set wide, begging eyes on his manservant, picking him apart because he knew that Merlin was terrible at refusing.

"I am a horrible liar; my hands get all sweaty, my vision blurs and my brain stops working ..." Merlin babbled in protest; he seemed desperate for Arthur to change his mind.

"Well, no change there then," Arthur grinned, patting Merlin on the shoulder teasingly. "Look, I promised Sophia I'd take her out for the day, if I don't show up my chances will be blown. I can't _order_ you to lie to the king, but you'd be a friend for life if you did."

Merlin did nothing but stare and study Arthur's face; he was trying to figure out what was going on inside his thick skull. From being a servant, Merlin knew when a brain was not working. Despite the inevitable fit Kadian would have, he replied, "Go on, then, you don't want to keep her waiting." He was at a loss and even as his conscience told him to say no, some invisible force told him to say what he had.

Arthur smiled widely and nudged Merlin's arm with a clenched fist. "Thanks, Merlin, I won't forget it!" Arthur exclaimed and raced from the chamber to meet Sophia for their date.

The door was left swinging from Arthur's momentum of pulling it open. Merlin stared after his master, shaking his head for he was concerned about the ripple effects this would have. This was not the first time he had seen Arthur this way, it was when Azura arrived with her brother for the annual swordsman tournament. The prince was completely bewitched by Sophia like he was when Azura was within his sight.

There was something about Sophia that scared Merlin, but at the same time attracted him to her. It was a strange feeling, he knew that he fancied Kadian like mad, but Sophia... there was something about her.

-x-

Merlin entered the council chamber where Arthur was supposed to meet the King to go on the morning patrol. Uther was fixing the fastening of his cloak and glanced up as the door creaked open and Merlin walked into the chamber with his eyes to the ground.

His eyes were filled with disgust and confusion as he studied the servant from head to toe, seeing nothing of value within the tattered jacket and brown trousers. "Where's my son?" Uther asked harshly and returned his gaze to the fastening that his servant did not secure correctly.

"I don't know where he is, sire," Merlin mumbled; he met the King's unamused stare and felt rather puny standing alone in his presence. "I think that there has been a mistake, but it is not his fault. Arthur's, I mean."

"Stop gibbering and tell me where he is," Uther growled, leaving the fastening alone, and stalked toward Merlin slowly like he was going to strike.

"It's probably... no, most definitely, my fault," Merlin babbled as he wiped his sweating palms on his trousers.

"Where is Arthur?" Uther bellowed angrily, placing his hands on his waist.

"He's not here," Merlin replied blatantly, biting his lip in nervousness.

"I can see that," Uther sighed heatedly; he had little, if no, patience for ignorance.

"Arthur wasn't sure of his orders, so he asked me to check with the guards to see if he was riding out this morning," Merlin babbled, his words forming quicker with each breath as Uther crept closer to him, "and, well, I may have forgotten..."

Uther cocked an eyebrow as he stopped before Merlin. He glowered at the servant and spoke darkly, "You _forgot_?"

"I'm sorry, my lord. I am sure that he would have been here... had I told him," Merlin stated gently, dropping his gaze to his worn boots; he waited for Uther to draw his sword and behead him.

"If this was a time of war, I would have you flogged," Uther growled, rubbing his shaven chin as he contemplated his devious options of punishment.

Merlin gazed up at Uther, scared like his back would feel the whip fifty or more times for his petty lie. "And since its not, we'll let it go just this once?" he asked in the most hopeful way possible. He smiled at Uther, looking like a cheerful puppy with the way his ears were, matching his grin.

-x-

"I forgot how much fun this was," Merlin noted as he was pelted with rotten tomato followed by a large potato that bounced off his hard skull. He shook his head, ridding his hair partly of the many seeds that had splattered everywhere as its mother collided with his head, or the stock he was being held in. The sun was in his eye and he could not make out his assailants to be young kids and their elder siblings. A tomato splattered against the wood to his right and sprayed tomato slime into his eye. Cursing, Merlin, with all his might, tried to bring his head over to his right hand; he did not achieve his goal, these stocks were full proof.

Kadian walked down the busy streets of Camelot, curious as to what all the merriment was by the stocks, somewhat hoping that she could get in on all the fun. It was when she saw that it was Merlin in the stocks did she roll her eyes and hold her hand up to cease his assailants as the readied to launch another wave of tomatoes. She walked up to the side of Merlin and wiped his face for him with her handkerchief and bent down to look him in the eye. "What did you do this time?" she asked darkly as she glanced at the impatient children.

"Arthur asked me to lie to the king so he could take Sophia out for the day. I suppose this is a walk through the garden compared to what Azura is going to do to me next," Merlin replied with a sigh; he squinted through the sunlight to see her.

Kadian sighed and stepped away from Merlin, moving to stand beside the anxious children. She took a tomato from one of their baskets and tossed it at Merlin, hitting him square on the top of his head, spraying red juice onto his shaggy hair. "Enjoy," she told the children as they echoed her attack.

Her eyes drifted over to Merlin as he slumped down in defeat and she continued on her way back to the palace, toward Azura's chambers. Someone needed to give her the news that Arthur would not be joining her after _riding with the guard_. Surely, Azura would fight off any urge to kill the person who told her, but Kadian believed that it should be a close friend who told her, not Arthur's servant or anyone else in Camelot.

She knocked on the door three times, calling Azura's name. There was no reply and Kadian turned the knob, half-expecting it to be locked; it was not. With a hesitant push, the door creaked open with a shuttering squeal. No one was inside the chamber, just the billowing curtains that swayed in by the open window.

-x-

Arthur leapt over a fallen tree trunk and turned to help Sophia down. Her hand was soft against his as she took it and gracefully landed silently on the ground. Pale rays of sunlight peeked through the cracks of the thick rooftop of the wood surrounding Camelot. The fresh scent of the river was lingering in the air; they were close, about a ten minutes walk from their current position. Baby birds and their mothers sang above their heads the serenade of the wood. "The river's not far," Arthur informed, pointing in front of him, "just down here."

He began to walk forward, letting Sophia to walk slowly behind him. "Arthur," Sophia called sweetly and when he turned to face her, she added, "wait." She leaned her staff against the fallen tree trunk.

"What is it?" he wondered, standing stiff as she went to him and coiled her soft fingers around his callused hands.

Sophia looked up into his blue eyes, knowing that many women had fallen for them before she strolled into Camelot, and Arthur gazed down at her, completely hypnotized. After a moment, Sophia's lips began to move, expelling her voice as it pronounced an unseen language. The sounds rolled off her tongue and into Arthur's ears, bewitching him where he stood. "_Tuch von phlixer autor..._"

"You there! Stop!" a man shouted from above the hilltop, his voice echoing over her gentle hiss. At his voice, Sophia peered around Arthur and stared up that ravine.

Arthur stumbled forward, dazed and confused, and tried to shake her voice from his ears; it seemed to vanish the more he focused on his surroundings. He could hear the man shout "Halt!", but there was another sound on the wind.

It was the crisp snap of a bow. An arrow was soaring through the air, faster than anyone could imagine, in a complete blur against the green foliage. Arthur dove at Sophia and brought her to the ground as the arrow zoomed overhead; the arrowhead pierced the thick trunk, where Sophia's head would have been. Cautiously, Arthur rose to his feet and ran toward the patrol that was stared wide-eyed at them. Sophia gasped, catching hold of the life she still had. She stood, hearing Arthur scream at the patrol.

"It was not our fault, sire!" one guard explained. "There was someone in the tree armed with a bow. We tried to stop him, sire, but he was gone the before we could do anything."

As Arthur scolded the guards, Sophia turned to the stabbed tree, eyeing the unique design on the arrow. The two of the three feathers were the same: white with splotches of black splattered about; the other was sleek black with a tear at the end. Its shaft was of dark wood, possibly cherry, and the tip was, undoubtedly, sharp flint that could kill anything in one blow if used properly. It was a miracle that Arthur had heard it coming and that the guards had tipped them; otherwise, she would be lying in a pool of her own, thick blood.

Sophia collected herself and smiled as Arthur leapt off the tree trunk to be by her again. "You okay?" he asked concerned.

"Yes, thanks to you," Sophia smiled, gratefully; she batted her eyelashes sweetly as she took a sharp, calming breath.

"They were searching for the bandits that attack you yesterday. One of them was..." Arthur explained, glancing over at the unique arrow in the tree. He recognized it too well; its sister had saved his life a few weeks passed, that he was sure of. His eyes returned to Sophia's pretty face as she waited for him to say something. Arthur reached for her staff. "Here."

"Don't touch that!" Sophia hissed, swiping the staff out of his hand before he could get a firm grasp on it.

"Sorry," Arthur replied and looked down at the ground guiltily. "Maybe we should go back."

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry that I got upset," Sophia protested with her voice soft; she met his gaze and smiled. "Don't let that spoil our day together. We were having such a nice time. Let's go down to the river."

"I'm taking you back to Camelot," Arthur replied and pushed her back gently toward where the horses were tethered. "You father would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you." He moved his eyes back to the arrow as Sophia passed by him, angered by the shortness of their day. The archer who shot that arrow was still out in the wood, Arthur could feel it, and next time, he knew that she would not miss.

-x-

The court physician roamed through the halls of the palace, haunted by Kadian's words that Merlin had purposely lied to the King for Arthur to get out of riding with the guard. Gaius thought that this was his opportunity to learn more about the palace's guests, Aulfric and Sophia. As old in age as the physician was, he slipped into Aulfric's chamber unseen and unheard. He glanced around, looking to spot any possession that may link to who Aulfric and his daughter really were. Leaning against the far wall was a staff, carved of wood that held a brilliant blue gem on the top.

Cautiously, Gaius made his way over and took hold of the staff, examining the intricate patterns and the gem with interest. Toward the centre of the staff were markings engraved into the soft wood. _A language, perhaps?_ the physician thought, quickly pressing his mind to memorize a hand-full of the strange symbols.

"Can I help you?" a distraught voice questioned from behind.

Gaius turned, resting the staff against the wall once more. "I am sorry," he said, meeting Aulfric's heated stare, "the door had been open and it looked as if someone had broken in."

"Looks like they have," Aulfric sneered, his eyes flashing a deep red.

Gaius dipped his head. "I apologize for imposing on you," the physician replied, "it won't happen again."

He started for the door, only stopping to hear Aulfric's intimidating words, "Make sure it doesn't."

-x-

Kadian watched as two horses rode into the palace courtyard; one supporting Arthur, and the other, Sophia. They dismounted their horses and Arthur stopped before Sophia; Kadian could tell that she was upset. "You sure you're alright?" Arthur asked as she stopped and turned to him.

"Yes," Sophia smiled, nodding curtly, "thank you for today." She rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek with a grin that stayed with her as she fell back on her heels. "Good night, Arthur," she said softly as she turned, her cloak billowing in a gold cloud, and walked up the marbles staircase and into the palace.

A glare set upon Kadian's eyes as she passed by Arthur while his eyes lingered over Sophia as she glanced over at him twice before disappearing through the open door. But unknowingly to them, Kadian was not the only person to watch Sophia and Arthur's final encounter for the evening.

Morgana sat perched on her windowsill, gazing at the girl who she knew was going to kill Arthur; her dark hair blocking her glower as the wind blew.

Below Morgana through a sealed window, Azura stood watching with a strong grasp on her mother's bow. The quiver slung over her shoulder was missing one arrow and her eyes were a navy blue, fading away into their normal aqua.

-x-

"I missed," Azura cursed harshly as she turned from the window; she swept her gaze swiftly over her chamber, there were lingering shadows stretched across the tabletops. "I never miss."

"Calm down, you can't precise every time," the elf-girl chimed as she pried the hickory bow from Azura's fingers. She lifted the quiver over her head and placed the couple in the corner, beneath the shelf that held her father's crown and sword.

Azura tossed her silver cloak onto the neat bed, the fabric tumbling down like a rolling cloud, and spun to face the elf-girl. "You don't get it. I _never_ miss."

"You do when you don't want to get your hands dirty," the elf smiled widely and leapt onto the bed. She reached down and folded the cloak neatly, grinning at the velvety fabric. "Water can't wash some dirt away."

"_Azura!_" an angered voice growled from the corridor.

"Someone's been a naughty girl," the elf stated with a laugh.

The elf was right, she was in trouble. Hesitantly, Azura went to the door and pulled it open before Arthur kicked it down. His face was flushed with red and his eyes glowered as he pushed by her and into the chamber; he looked around before turning to her. "Arthur, what a _surprise_," Azura scowled, soundlessly shutting the door.

"Doubt it," Arthur grumbled as he eyed the deerskin quiver resting in the corner. One. Two. Three. "So, went down to the field today? Happen to miss Sophia's head?"

Azura glanced over at the bed, hearing the curse laugh as she rolled back and forth over the quilts. She refused to meet Arthur's heated stare, not wanting to see the anger that tainted his sapphire irises. Her actions were inexcusable, but her reasons were for the right cause.

"Why? Why did you try to kill her?" Arthur asked, studying her eluding gaze.

Azura continued to stare at the elf as her giggling grew louder and her dark hair knotted together.

"Answer me!" Arthur shouted, slamming a fist on the nearby desk; it shivered at the impact. She met his heated stare with her own glaring eyes.

"Like _you_ don't know. You're the one, running amuck with that... that tot!" Azura hissed, pointing toward the door. She clenched her teeth and forced herself to take a soothing breath; only the breath did not help.

"So? How is it that the first thought that comes to your twisted, little mind to stick an arrow in her head? What's wrong with you?" Arthur growled, stepping warningly toward her.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _you_? A blind man can see when a prissy, little witch is muttering a spell!" Azura sneered. She could feel her cheeks burning.

Arthur chuckled, low and deep. "A _spell_? _That's_ your defence? Come _on_, you're much brighter than that," he grumbled.

"She's bewitched you, Arthur! I'm not lying!" she spat and moved to stand before him. "Didn't you hear her and the vile she spoke? She's going to kill you, Arthur. Please, listen to me." The crimson in her cheeks faded away as her eyes brightened as their eyes locked. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Arthur chuckled and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "I know what's going on; you're jealous of Sophia. Don't deny it, I think it's cute," he said gently.

As fast as it had gone, the crimson heat returned to her cheeks. "_Jealous_! _I_ shouldn't be the one jealous! After every thing I've done, every thing _we've_ done, you have the NERVE to come into my chamber and speak to me this way! It is _you_ who needs to put your head on straight and open your eyes to what you are doing! You _do not_ want me as you ene…"

His hand came across her face hard.

Azura placed her hands upon the wall to prevent her from collapsing on the ground at his strength. She could feel the elven girl's dark eyes upon her, wide and intrigued. Every ounce of weariness in her melted away and replaced with a heated wave of rage. Swiftly, her gaze shifted back to Arthur with a betrayed, surprised glare. For that split, painful moment, the pigment in her eyes was the brightest blue ever seen; there was not a single speck of midnight.

The prince stared deep into her bright eyes, feeling nothing for what he had done and what he had destroyed. A sense of pride was upon his lips as his hand returned to his sides. "Good-bye, Azura."

A dark grin curved Azura's lips. Long strips of midnight blue stretched across her radiant eyes, concealing their crystal shade from view. She took a step forward, her stance strong, magically impenetrable, where she stood. Her fingers curled together, forming fists at her hips. Each breath taken was sharper than the last, tightening her muscles to where she began to quake. "Good-bye, _Arthur Pendragon_," she sneered through her tightly clenched teeth.

Azura took another step toward Arthur, knees bent, prepared to launch herself at him. Had he not moved toward the door, she would have pinned him down to the floor, hands clasped around his throat, strangling him to his death.

The door slammed shut and met the crystal vase that held a fresh bouquet of flowers that Arthur had brought the previous day. Each emerald stem fell into the dripping water, surrounded by fluttering, velvet petals.

She approached the crumbled vase, kneeling before the expanding pool, and pinched a shard between her thumb and index finger. She held it before her vision, watching as a thin river of red trickled across its smooth face and onto a white petal below_. We were so _close, the elven girl's voice said in Azura's ear.

_You know why he must live, _Azura replied, releasing the shard from its shackles. _His destiny is too great to destroy_.

_Then, what are you going to do now?_ the girl's voice questioned, fading away.

_Kill the girl before she kills the prince_.

-x-

Sophia ascended up a flight of stairs, basked in the bright rays of the yellow sun. Her staff was clenched protectively in her delicate fingers. If it had not been for Arthur, she would have met her death. She turned the corner as her feet reached the next level, and was instantly paralyzed by a pair of glaring, midnight blue eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Azura asked harshly; she towered over Sophia by several inches.

"My father and I are guests of the King," Sophia replied softly and stepped back, freeing her petite self free from Azura's stare. _"_You must be the Lady Azura, it's a pleasure."

"You are lying, _So-phi-ya _, I know you are. My intentions were just to kill you now, but I find that I'm one to play with my food before I eat it," Azura grinned darkly, cocking her head to one side as her eyes examined Sophia's seemingly helpless figure. "I want you to stay away from Arthur, you hear? If you refuse and finished your little spell, I will _not_ hesitate to kill you."

Sophia examined the woman before her, especially how her luscious pink lips moved as she spoke so intimidating. There was a red mark on the side of Azura's face that would eventually leave a nasty, purple bruise. "Does Arthur _know_ that you feel this way about him? I bet he feels the same way about you, or well, used to. Jealousy is _such_ an unattractive trait in a woman."

"One thing is certain, _Sophia_, I am no where near jealous; I'm furious. If those numb-skulled guards hadn't come along, you would already be dead; and I was only _annoyed_ then," Azura hissed, pressing her lips together to from a straight line.

Azura's eyes were averted to the bottom of the steps, behind Sophia, where Morgana stood. It was obvious that Morgana had wished to say almost the same thing to Sophia herself, but she had arrived mere seconds too late. "Have a splendid evening, Sophia," Azura said sweetly and brushed passed the girl as she departed down the set of stairs to meet the Lady Morgana, who locked fierce gazes with Sophia the moment she turned to see Azura off.

It was then that Sophia realized: if Azura did not get to her, Morgana would be next in line.

Morgana turned her attention to Azura as she came close, hoping that she would acknowledge her presence, but no such remark was made. The king's ward placed a hand on Azura's shoulder, turning her around and letting her dark eyes fall upon her face.

_Good, my pet, our stance has been noted_.

Morgana stepped back, lifting her grasp on Azura. Who said that? Azura's lips had not moved and neither had hers, and it was too faint to belong to Sophia. "Azura?"

Azura paid no mind to her spoken name and continued on her merry way, only giving Morgana a glimpse at the mark where Arthur had hit her.

The rhythm of her heart skipped a beat as everything sunk in. Morgana raced up the staircase and down the corridor, descending down a second flight, until she reached the physician's chamber. Merlin had recently arrived from his time in the stocks and was washing in the far corner with Kadian picking out tomato seeds from his hair.

Kadian looked up as the door swiftly shut behind the rattled Morgana. "Morgana," she said concerned, "are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, not a ghost, something much_, much_, more terrifying," the ward replied ghastly.

"What?" Kadian wondered, reaching over Merlin to wash her hands free from tomato juices.

"Azura," Morgana stated, rubbing her arms with their opposite hands, "we are too late. I _heard_ the voice, the one that is controlling her. Kadian, she's named Sophia."

Kadian dropped her hands to her sides and shook her head. "You must be mistaken. How could..."

"_Arthur_," Merlin stated. "He must have left her for Sophia and caused it to take over."

"Of course," Kadian sighed. "that would be the only possibly way to get Zu angry enough. Do you know where she went?"

"No, I didn't dare to follow her, not after hearing that voice..." Morgana replied, shivering at the cold memory.

"What did it sound like?" Kadian questioned, stepping closer to her friend and leaving Merlin to clean up himself.

"What did it say?" Merlin added, lifting the pail into his arms to dump it out.

"'_Good, my pet, our stance has been noted_'," Morgana quoted. "However, that isn't what frightened me... It sounded like Azura's voice at first, but it was filled with evil and vengeance. I-I don't think there's a chance of... bring her back."

"Morgana! Don't you dare talk like that!" Kadian snapped. "I won't stop trying. There _must_ be a reverse. Neither of you understand how much we need Azura. She's been there for us when no one else was, despite the consequences."

Morgana and Merlin exchanged glances as Kadian breathed deeply and angrily. "I can't..." Kadian whispered, placing her head in her hand. "I c-can't..."

-x-

Sophia walked into the chamber granted to her father and herself by Uther Pendragon and laced her staff forcibly against the wall. Her father looked up as she frowned at the wall and said, "You're back earlier than I had expected."

"We were interrupted," Sophia grumbled, untying the cloak around her neck and tossing it against the lonely chair.

"What happened?" Aulfric asked, stepping away from the bench her was examining their possessions on.

"I was nearly killed," Sophia responded with hatred in her voice, turning to her father with a darkened stare. "For a moment I felt what it was like to suffer a mortal death. He saved me. Someone so weak, so feeble saved me! I cannot bare to live this life for much longer."

"You won't have to," Aulfric chimed in a delicate tone, soothing his child's anger. "Once his heart is yours the Gates of Avalon will open once again for us and we can regain our true form."

Sophia gazed at her father, hearing his strong words as they rolled off his tongue. "I need a little more time."

"You must hurry," Aulfric warned, "the physician can see us as we truly are."

"And he is not alone," Sophia stated and watched as her father grew more sceptical. "The Lady Azura, she fears our powers but that will not stop her for long. The prince's heart belonged to her already, it is only a matter of time before an end is put to us. If the little _elf_ cannot endure our death, then the Lady Morgana will take her place."

"Tomorrow, you must finish the enchantment," Aulfric said, shivering in his human body at the mention of what Azura truly was. "Otherwise, the chance to rid of us these mortal shells will be lost forever."

Sophia stiffened her neck for she knew her father spoke the truth. Their window of opportunity was closing fast and if she did not hurry or avoid mortal death, neither of them would return to their home, beyond the Gates of Avalon.

-x-

That evening, Morgana ventured into Arthur's chamber, hoping that she could persuade him to leave Sophia before something terrible happened, not just to him, but Azura as well. "You seem very fond of her," Morgana said, leaning against the fur-coated chair as the prince untied the belt around his waist and threw it, and the sword attached, onto the bed.

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Arthur said, sliding his arms free of his brown, studded jacket.

"Not necessarily," Morgana replied. "I just never believed that you'd fall under someone else's spell so quickly."

"You're jealous, Morgana, it's okay to admit it," Arthur grinned.

"Don't flatter yourself," she hissed.

"Come on, now. It wouldn't be the first time, now would it?" he said, sitting down and removing his boots.

"I'm trying to protect you!" Morgana sneered, stalked toward him. "She isn't what she seems."

"Why? What makes you say that?" Arthur asked, rising to his feet and picking up his sword into his hands.

"I-I have a feeling," Morgana replied glancing away as Arthur turned at her comment. "It's difficult to describe... I had a dream... a nightmare."

Arthur began to laughed and turned completely around, walking over to the table where a cup was calling to him. "You really are sweet, Morgana," Arthur chuckled, taking the cup in his grasp.

"Why are you _laughing_?" Morgana scowled.

"You, your feelings, bad dreams. You don't have to make this stuff up," Arthur answered, sitting back in a chair and raising the cup to his lips and taking a sip of the sweet liquid. "You can tell me the truth."

"What? That by you doing this you've crushed Azura to the point where she is lethal?" Morgana snapped, her green eyes staring down at Arthur like he was a tiny mouse and she was the hovering falcon.

"_No_," Arthur laughed. "It's obvious you like me."

"Less and less by the second," Morgana sneered.

"Sure, what_ever_ you say," Arthur grinned.

"You're intolerable!" Morgana exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Just hope I'm wrong, or things are going to get a _lot_ worse." With that, the ward turned and stormed out of the prince's chamber without a second glance back at his blinded mind. What she send was true, things were going to get a lot worse the longer Sophia stayed in Camelot, with him.

-x-

Merlin's hand rasped against Kadian's chamber door that next morning and the princess immediately swung the door open. "What is it, Merlin?" she asked, yawning from exhaustion.

"Arthur asked me to get him out of the knighting ceremony and I said I would... can you help me? I can't get a hold of this deception stuff," Merlin asked, nearly dropping to his knees that a homeless beggar.

"Of course you said you'd lie for him," Kadian said, stepping out into the corridor. She was already dressed in a fancy blue gown with silver embroidery. "Merlin, you have to learn how to keep yourself from being walked all over."

"It would be a lot easier if I wasn't a servant," Merlin grumbled, following Kadian as she started down the hall to cover for her idiotic brother because she couldn't bare to see Merlin shackled to the stocks again; the children were getting feisty and started collecting potatoes instead of tomatoes.

Kadian laughed slightly. "It would be a lot easier if Arthur was never born," she said, taking Merlin's hand as they continued through the winding halls of the palace. As they approached the throne room where the ceremony was to take place, Kadian turned to Merlin. "Wait here," she smiled, kissing his cheek before proceeding into the room to greet her always-so-happy father.

Uther glanced up at her as she walked in. For a moment, he thought he was gazing at his wife, Ygraine, but he remembered that she had died, giving birth to their children. "Kadian," he greeted with a low voice. "Where is your brother?"

"Unfortunately, father, he will not be attending the knighting ceremony," Kadian replied, folding her hands behind her back as she looked her father in the eye.

"It is one of his own men," Uther noted, locking intense stares with her. "Why not?"

"He... received word that the bandits were nearby, hiding in the woods. The watchtower reported seeing smoke rise up from the trees as the night progressed. He wishes that you would understand how much more important that matter was over... _Nicola'_s ceremony," Kadian explained, forcing her eyes to stay locked with her father's even as she felt the heat bubble his insides to a raging degree. "If he did not seize this opportunity, it may have been lost forever."

Uther looked at his daughter, contemplating the well-spoken lie. "Very well," he said, turning his gaze away. "When he returns, have him sent to me."

"I will," Kadian replied, dipping her head as a slight bow, and left the room to return to the waiting Merlin in the corridor. When the soft _clunk_ of the door echoed through the hall, Kadian sighed with relief. "He bought it," she informed as they proceeded down the corridor. "Arthur owes me."

Merlin chuckled and nodded in agreement. Arthur owed him a new red tunic that was completely mauled by the rotten vegetables that were tossed at him the day prior. "Well, since there is nothing to do between now and when Arthur decides to return, why don't we..."

"Nice try," Kadian chuckled, blushing slightly. "I'm still angry at you."

He took her soft hands in his and met her sapphire gaze. "Don't be angry at me," he said in a soft voice.

Kadian gazed at his beaming blue eyes, all her anger melting away. "I really hate you," she sighed, giving in as his face moved closer to hers, only to press his lips to hers before pulling him down the hall.

-x-

Arthur chased after Sophia down a grassy slope, laughing like a tiny child. Trees dashed by them as they mingled in the wood, without a care in the world or a watching eye. Family of birds sang through the cover of the thick branches of leaves the song of the wood, the song that soon became silent as Arthur spoke. "Careful," he cautioned, watching Sophia as her cloak danced in the wind.

"Don't worry," Sophia smiled, turned to face him now as he slowed his pace until he stood before him. "I will be." She looked up, into his blue eyes that many before her fell into, and he gazed down at her. Then, she began to speak in unwritten words that filled Arthur's ears with enchantments. "_Tuch von phlixer autor..._"

Arthur blinked, puzzled by the unfamiliar sounds that came from her lips. _She's bewitched you, Arthur!_ Azura's enraged tones screamed in his mind as Sophia spoke the bone-chilling words of the enchantment. His last thought was this: Azura had been telling the truth.

The prince's eyes turned red as her lips pressed firmly together, ceasing her voice from ringing in the wood. Sophia stared at her work, grinning that the prince of Camelot was now under her spell, and there was nothing _anyone_ could do to change it. She gazed around, thinking that she heard a whisper on the wind say: _I warned you_.

-x-

The court physician sat as his bench, flipping through a large text that Kadian immediately recognized to have once belonged to the library of Luthrembel. He looked up as they entered, his greeting smile fading as he prepared to reveal what he learned from his encounter with Aulfric earlier that day. His eyebrow rose as he saw the mess that was Merlin's hair and the half-dazed look on Kadian's face, but his better judgement told him to let it go.

"Hello, Gaius," Kadian smiled as the door shut silently behind them. "What did you find?"

"I was caught by Aulfric while I was searching his and Sophia's chamber. In an outburst of anger, his eyes changed colour," Gaius informed.

"Who _are_ they, Gaius?" Kadian asked.

"It's not who they are that concerns me," Gaius stated. "It's what they want with Arthur."

"Why is it that we are believing Morgana? She had a _dream_, it's not like she's a prophet," Merlin said, running a hand through his dark hair to straighten it a tad.

Kadian shifted her blue eyes onto his confused face. "No, she's a Seer," she informed. "It's an ability that a person is born with in which he or she can glimpse the future with their dreams. Between Gaius and I, we've managed to keep her gift a secret from Uther; it's too close to the work of magic."

"How often have these _dreams_ come true?" Merlin questioned, moving a strand of her white-blonde hair out of her face and back into its place behind her ear.

"More often than I dare admit," Kadian answered, moving her gaze to the floor by her foot.

-x-

Azura stood in the hallway, outside of Arthur's chamber, with her ear pressed against the shut door. Her dark blue eyes were narrowed as Arthur and Sophia's voices filled her mind. There was a smirk on her chin as Sophia's voice leapt through the air.

"Our love is strong," the girl said gently. "If we ever were to be parted..."

"I'll never let that happen," Arthur replied almost instantly.

"You may not have the choice," Sophia stated with her voice filled with worry. "There are some here that don't want us together."

"I'll never let them come between us," Arthur said his voice a monotone on puppet-strings.

"Because we are in love?" Sophia wondered.

"Because we are in love..." Arthur mimicked.

"You must ask permission for us to marry," Sophia instructed. "So we can be together."

"'Til death do us part," Arthur said intuitively.

There was a pause and Azura stepped away from the door as silently as she came to stand by it. Those words, they meant something to her at one time, but not anymore. "I warned you," Azura said, maybe too loudly, but she was gone before even a cobweb could see that it had been her that had spoke.

Aulfric walked down the hall, just as Azura vanished from sight. Sophia opened the door to Arthur's chamber and greeted her father warmly. The old man held his staff tightly. "He's ready," Sophia said with a grin. "He'll do what we want tomorrow."

"Good, you have done well," Aulfric nodded proudly. "I must go to the Elders." He did not wait and vanished down the corridor with silent steps.

Kadian peered around the corner, she had received word that Arthur and Sophia had arrived in Camelot. There was little time so she had not been able to inform Merlin. She had been there the entire time, and saw Azura standing in the corridor and say her intimidating words before Aulfric stumbled over to the chamber door.

_The Elders?_ she thought, cautiously chasing after Aulfric once the door had been sealed once more.

Aulfric passed by the physician's chamber, unheard and continued through the palace until he reached the foyer. Kadian took the opportunity to retrieve Merlin from his chamber and told Gaius that they should be back before dawn, if all went well.

-x-

Wind howled through the thick trees and crickets sang their lyrics to the sway of each blade of emerald grass. Merlin gazed through a part in a tree branch, watching as Aulfric continued forward, deeper into the darkness. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Kadian once Aulfric had vanished behind a tree trunk.

"Yes, don't even _suggest_ that I turn back now," Kadian whispered, walking around him and through the trees as if Aulfric was directly before her, leading the way.

A thin mist swerved through the trees, coating the wood in a wispy-gray haze. Kadian crept forward, staying low and out of Aulfric's sight with Merlin close behind her, his hand wrapped around hers. Aulfric stopped and gazed out across a dark-turquoise lake that etched its way through the trees. The moon hovered in the black sky, kissing the water's calm surface with its silver eye. Kadian peered around a thick tree trunk, watching as Aulfric called out into the wood, with Merlin watching over her shoulder.

"I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders!" Aulfric bellowed as the window ruffled his white beard. He continued speaking, in a magic language foreign to them both. The wind picked up, screeching through the trees as it rustled the grass, reeds, and leaves.

Kadian stepped back and was caught by Merlin as the lake started to glow before Aulfric as he lowered his raised staff. There was a bright blue light radiating from the depths of the lake, so bright Kadian had to look away to avoid becoming blind. Merlin watched as tiny balls of light jumped from the water and into the crisp air before Aulfric, moving so fast they were near blurs.

More and more lights jumped into the air, filling the lake's surface with mystical yellow light. Merlin struggled to keep up with their rapid movements. He forced his neck straight and stared straight at the lake, his blue eyes flashing the brightest gold as Kadian's inadvertently changed to silver as his magic triggered hers.

The wind slowed to a snail-paced hum. Each reed along the water's bed crawled through each motion as they swayed to the left by the lagging wind. Every ripple on the water's surface halted and bit-by-bit, crept along. That was when they finally saw those Aulfric called the "Sidhe Elders". In reality, the orbs of light, dancing through the air, were tiny beings with wings like pixies, slanted ears like an elf's, but the grin of that of a temperamental troll and the skin the shade of maya blue.

"_Look_," Kadian whispered, pointing the mirage beneath the water's surface. Merlin followed her finger and beamed at the wondrous sight of a city, a place of magic and myth that neither of them knew existed.

"I come before you," Aulfric bellowed, "to plea for the chance to win passage back to Avalon."

_Avalon? It can't be, it's only a midwife's tale,_ Kadian thought.

"And a life of immortality," Aulfric continued, his stern eyes gazing at the Sidhe elder's as they hovered across the water's surface.

A sidhe hovered before Aulfric, his blue face only inches away containing a darkened scowl. The little being raised a finger and pointed it at Aulfric's nose. "You punishment for killing another sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life," he said with his little, sharp teeth showing in his grin. "You will never be able to return to Avalon."

"The crime was mine," Aulfric stated, his face hurt by the sidhe's words, "not my daughter's."

"The Gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter unless the soul of a mortal prince be offered," the blue creature sneered, watching the glimmer of hope and thanks flicker in Aulfric's mortal eye.

"Thank you. An immortal life for my daughter is all that I desire so I promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all, Arthur Pendragon!" Aulfric replied his hurt expression shifting to that of redemption.

Merlin looked down to Kadian, wondering if she, too, had heard Aulfric's chilling statement and she had. The rattling question of what Sophia wanted with Arthur was now answered in the most gruesome way; and with Morgana's dream looming above their heads, it was almost inevitable to save Arthur from the clutches of the gates. They exchanged concerned glances, undoubtedly reading each other's thoughts.

Their eyes shifted back upon the great scene of Avalon as the woken sidhe departed underneath the water's face, leaving their former member to stand at the edge of Avalon's waters. Aulfric began to laugh a twisted, morbid laugh that echoed through each hollow tree and ditch within the wood. As Aulfric turned, thinking he heard someone behind him, Merlin took hold of Kadian and turned away from the lake, his back against the tree trunk as he prayed that they remained unseen. Kadian held her breath, raising a hand to cover her mouth as she felt the urge to protest Aulfric's plot right there.

-x-

After a few minutes of standing like statues, they ran back to Camelot as Aulfric ceased to be in his position beside the lake. It was dawn by the time they reached the city and Gaius was already awake, waiting for them to return. Merlin quickly spilled out their encounter by the lake and the magnificent sight that Aulfric and the flying beings referred to as Avalon.

"Avalon! That's what you saw at the lake!" Gaius exclaimed, excited and concerned. "It must be."

"What _is_ Avalon?" Kadian asked. "I've heard only tales."

"The land of eternal youth," Gaius explained. "Mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death."

"We've seen it and we're still here," Merlin stated with a smile.

"Extraordinary!" Gaius exclaimed. "What did it look like?"

"I-it doesn't matter!" Kadian stammered. "They're going to sacrifice Arthur and we don't even know who they are."

"We do now," Gaius said, walking over to his desk where the large book from Luthrembel still lay open to a page. "I found writing like this on the top of Aulfric's staff." Merlin and Kadian read of the physician's shoulder as he read the words that had been on Aulfric's staff and translated it to: "to hold life and death in your hands". "With the writing on his staff and what the two of you witness at the lake makes it certain. We're dealing with a Sidhe," Gaius stated looking from Merlin to Kadian.

"Why does that sound like it isn't a good thing?" Merlin asked, glancing up at Kadian.

"They are masters of magic," Gaius said.

"You think Arthur's been enchanted?" Merlin said, looking at Gaius now.

"Of course," Kadian sighed, straightening her back as she began to pace the room. "Arthur would never do any of this unless there was something seriously wrong with him, and seeing as he normally falls head over heels every time Azura walks by, there must be something clouding his judgement. Think about it, Azura would have know automatically if he had been enchanted, which would have brought her and Arthur into a brawl..."

"Which would trigger the curse since Arthur would deny her logic," Merlin added, watching Kadian as she paced with her fingers holding her chin as she became engrossed in her thoughts. "The way Arthur's been acting, _leaving _Camelot during the day so he can spend time with Sophia, gave her the opportunity to put him under."

"There must have been an enchantment on her to begin with in order to direct his attention away from his suffering elf which caused all of this," Kadian continued ignoring Gaius' chuckling as he watched the two finish each other's sentences as every event came together for a purpose. Kadian stopped and faced Merlin and Gaius. "Morgana's dream... it's coming true, and we can't stop it..."

Merlin crossed the room and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No, we _will_ stop her," he assured her. "No matter what it takes."

-x-

Arthur stood before his father in the throne room of the palace. Sophia and Aulfric stood to his right, eagerly waiting for him to carry out their diabolical plan. Kadian sat to her father's left with Morgana beside her, wishing that Arthur was not going to ask what he was.

"I requested this audience with you father to discuss a matter of great importance," Arthur began interlocking his fingers. "It cannot have escaped your attention that I and Lady Sophia have grown very close."

Uther gazed up from the pieces of parchment in his grasp. "Not too close, I hope," the king said as his eyes drifted from Sophia to his son.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "We're in love," he replied receiving sure-you-are looks from his father, Kadian and all those present in the room. "Which is why I come to you today to ask for your permission to marry."

The king gazed up at his son, his lips a firm line as the words processed through his mind. Uther then began to chuckle with Kadian giggling to his left and Morgana watching Sophia suspiciously. "I assume that you are joking," he laughed, wheezing to catch his weary breath.

Arthur watched as his family mocked him, laughing at his "heart-filled" request. "No," he said. "I'm going to marry her."

"You've only met days ago," Uther informed, missing the grin on Sophia's pretty, human face.

"_We're in love_," Arthur pressed.

Uther let his head fall as he spoke the words, "In love. We had no idea that you were such a romantic. Did we Kadian? Morgana?"

"No," Morgana answered as Kadian kept her lips sealed as she caught a dark shadow move in the far corner of the room and then vanish through the open door, "He's full of surprises."

"I'm going to marry her. I don't care what either of you think about it," Arthur said, holding his chin high as he spoke.

"I thought you came to ask my permission," Uther replied, neatening the pile of paper in his hands.

"It was courtesy, nothing more," Arthur said, turning and holding out his hand for Sophia to take so they could leave the King's presence.

Uther placed his neat pile on the arm of his chair. "Guards, door," he commanded and the guards stationed at the open doors held their pikes out before them in a cross, preventing Arthur, Sophia, and Aulfric from proceeding outward. Uther rose to his feet and placed his hands on his hips as his head shook in disappointment. "You've forgotten whose court your standing in."

Kadian caught Merlin's eyes as Arthur turned to face his father. She knew that he was thinking the same thing: this was just another part of Sophia's plan to bring Arthur to his death for an immortal life.

"You won't stop me," Arthur said, turning slightly so his tainted blue eyes could rest on his father's stern face. "If I want to marry her, I will."

Uther broke the link between his and his son's gazes and commanded the guards to arrest Sophia and Aulfric. Almost a second before Uther's commands had left his lips, the guards stepped forward and took hold of Sophia and Aulfric.

"What are you doing?" Arthur growled stalking toward his father in rage.

"And instruct the executioner that his services will be required tomorrow morning," Uther added, putting a dark grin on Kadian's chin as Sophia quickly exchanged glances with her father. Now Arthur would be spared.

"You can't do this!" Arthur protested, standing inches away from his father.

"Yes I can. And unless you show me some respect I will!" Uther sneered, looking his son square in the eye as if he could set him a blaze right then and there.

It took Arthur a moment, but he knew that he had done wrong and let his head fall and his gaze shift to the floor like a scolded puppy, which was the best thing he could be a the time. "Release them," Uther said with a reluctant sigh. He gazed at Arthur once more before taking his seat. "You have your whole life ahead of you. Sophia is just one of many girls that you will fall _in love_ with. My actions may have been different if someone else had been standing with you, but I can see that's no more. Enjoy yourself while you can."

Arthur bowed his head and departed from the chamber with Sophia's hand in his and Aulfric behind him. Kadian had turned her eyes onto her father as he had spoke. Had he been referring to Azura just then? Or one of Arthur's other toys he had played with over the years? She rose to her feet once Uther had dismissed the court and met up with Merlin in the adjacent hall.

"It's not going to stop him," she said, walking beside him as they went toward Gaius' to review their options.

"I know, Sophia won't let it," Merlin replied, taking her hand once they were in an abandoned hall. "We don't have a lot of time, if any at all."

Kadian stopped, remembering the shadow that left the chamber as Arthur spoke his request to marry Sophia. "Was Azura in the back of the room?" she asked.

"I don't believe so, not unless she's under four-feet tall, I didn't see her," Merlin replied, feeling her stop in her tracks and stepping to be in front of her.

"You _need_ to stop Arthur before he elopes with Sophia," Kadian stated. "I'd rather have Azura kill him than Sophia, personally."

"Alright," Merlin sighed, dropping her hand and gazing off in the direction the let to Arthur's chamber.

Before Merlin could walk away, Kadian pulled him into a kiss and held him there for at least three minutes before she released him from her grasp. "Be careful," she cautioned as Merlin walked down the hall and out of sight.

-x-

Kadian continued to Gaius' and only acknowledge the physician as she crossed the chamber to enter Merlin's bedroom. Like usual, the room was a mess and in a blink of an eye, every dropped item was put back into place and each article of clothing was folded and placed neatly on Merlin's bed once it had finished making itself. Kadian bent down and lifted the loose floorboard and retrieved the two magic books they were keeping concealed.

Sitting beside the piles of clothing, Kadian opened the book Gaius gave to Merlin when he first arrived in Camelot. Each page was filled with magic that Kadian would have loved to try, but now was not the time. She needed to find a reverse for the curse on Azura, or something that would give Azura some time to explain what she needed to do. The pages fell against the front cover of the book, followed by the back cover. Nothing.

Kadian lifted the second book onto her lap and traced the written that said that Azra Lightwing had written its contents in her own handwriting before she died. She opened to the first page and examined the words in English and then the written magic beneath it. The language the magic was written it was much more complex than that of the other book. Certain symbols were foreign to her as she flipped through page after page, carefully observing the purpose of each enchantment.

Like every time before, Kadian closed the book with shattered hopes. There was no reverse. No useful spell. No hope of returning Azura back to normal in time to save Arthur, or at all. She placed her head in her hands. What was the point of having magic if she could not use it in the way she needed?

"Kadian?" Gaius said, standing in the door way and watching as she fell into a pot of self-pity.

"Gaius?" Kadian replied, lifting her head out of her palms.

"Come, now, put these away," the physician said crossing the room and taking the magic books from her and placing them in the hole in the floor before sealing them away with the floor-board. "Even in the darkest of places, there is a light, dim as it may be, but it will lead the way."

-x-

In the cover of night, Sophia and Aulfric left Camelot with Arthur under their control. Kadian sat in Gaius' chambers, tapping her fingers against the table as she anxiously waited for Merlin to return from convincing Arthur to forget about Sophia. It had been at least three hours since they went separate ways. "Where is he, Gaius?" Kadian asked for the tenth time in the passed twenty minutes. "He should have been back by now..."

"Arthur's gone! She's taken him with her!" Morgana cried as she raced into the room with her fur cloak draped over her shoulders.

"Calm down," Kadian and Gaius chimed.

"I know you don't believe but I'm so sure it's going to happen..." Morgana rambled, shaking in her step as she crossed over to Gaius who pressed two soothing hands on her shoulders.

"We believe you, Morgana," Kadian said, walking over to her friend.

"We must tell Uther!" Morgana exclaimed.

"No," Gaius stated. "If you tell Uther that you have the Seer's power, he will charge you with witchcraft."

"What else can I do? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let her..." Morgana replied, shaking furiously as panic set in.

"I'll take care of it," Kadian stated, looking from Morgana to Gaius and back to Morgana. "Do you trust me?"

At Morgana's nod, Kadian ran from the room, hearing Gaius' words to be cautious. _Where's Merlin?_ Kadian thought repeatedly as she ran through the near-vacant corridors until she reached Arthur's chamber.

-x-

The door to Arthur's chamber was slightly ajar and Kadian pushed it open to reveal Merlin slouched against the wall, unconscious. "Merlin!" she exclaimed, rushing over and shaking him until his eyes opened.

"Ka_dian_," Merlin said, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek as his senses slowly came back to him.

"What happened to you?" Kadian asked, helping him to his feet.

"Aulfric... where's Arthur?" he asked, slowly remembering the previous events that took place in that very chamber. "What's that buzzing noise?"

"Careful, Merlin, you can barely stand up," Kadian warned, holding him as his balance swayed from side to side.

"We have to go," Merlin said, fighting Kadian's grasp as he tried to move toward the door.

"You can't go anywhere, not in this state," Kadian sighed. "I'll go."

"_I'm fine_," Merlin assured her.

"Sure you are," Kadian said, rolling her eyes. "Has that buzzing stopped?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

"I _have_ to go with you. The two of us will stand a better chance against them rather than just you."

"Oh, alright!" Kadian sighed and headed for the door. When she didn't hear Merlin behind her, she gazed over her shoulder. "Merlin, this way."

"Just testing..." Merlin said comically and raced after her as she exited the chamber and then, Camelot.

-x-

Morgana looked at Gaius as he gaze her an assuring nod. Kadian was a sorceress, she knew that very well; but there was some reluctance that made her run from the physician's chamber and up a couple flights of stairs. Her hand rasped furiously against a sealed door as she pleaded for it to unlock and fold inward. "Azura! I know that you are in there! They've taken Arthur! You have to go after them! You can save him, I know you can!" Morgana shouted, falling onto the door once her hand began to ache from pounding on the wood as hard as she was. "Sophia is going to kill him! I _know_ that you are angry, but you have to do this, no matter what! Please... I know you're there..."

Hesitantly, the door swung inward bit by bit until Morgana threw it against the wall and rushed inside. The chamber was almost completely dark; all except from the faint light that seeped in through the open window by which the curtains hovered in the air as a furious wind breathed into the room. No one was inside. The shadows were calm, quiet and watching as Morgana lit a candle to look around. Her green eyes stopped scanning the room as they reached the far corner: the bow and quiver was gone.

-x-

Kadian raced through the trees, struggling to keep up with Merlin, whom was still having trouble keeping from falling on his face. Frustrated, Kadian stopped and tore off the bottom of her dress so that it came up to her knees. Sure, Uther would kill her for doing so later, but now was not the time to think of that. The blue fabric fluttered to the grass as she sped after Merlin and through the wood toward the lake where the Gates of Avalon rested.

The sun began to rise as they raced by tree after tree. Their hearts were pounding in there chests; their lungs were on fire, burning like a raging volcano. The wood thinned around them. Aulfric voice could be heard, booming over the treetops and snaking through each thin branch. Merlin's foot caught itself on an elevated tree root and collapsed onto the ground, cutting his cheek and chin on tiny pebbles and stones. "Merlin!" Kadian scowled, reaching down to help her dazed Merlin up. "Come on!" Merlin was pulled to his feet and raced after Kadian as she continued forward.

Aulfric's voice faded away, into an eerie silence that made their hearts leap out of their chests. Kadian stopped as Merlin did, looking from right to left, trying to remember the way. It had been dark the last time and Aulfric had been leading the way. "Er, this way!" Merlin said and ran off.

Kadian nodded, but did not follow him right away. She looked up, hearing tree after tree rustle from an invisible wind. _It's just my imagination_, she thought and ran after Merlin.

Aulfric held his staff in the air, his voice boomed through the wood again as he said the second half of the enchantment. His daughter was before him waist-deep in the lake with her hand stretched out before her where Arthur had fallen. Kadian pressed her hands on Merlin's shoulders to stop her accelerated pace. They were behind Aulfric as he cast the enchantment.

Merlin lifted a finger to his lips as he stalked forward, eyeing the idle staff lying inches away from the preoccupied Aulfric. He searched his mind for a summoning spell and his spoke the words as they came to him. The sidhe staff flew over to Merlin's extended hand. Merlin glanced back at Kadian who was watching Sophia and turned in time to give Merlin a go-ahead nod. Merlin tucked the end of the staff under his arm as he pointed the blue jewel toward Aulfric. With a single magic spell, a surge of electricity soared from the sidhe staff, pinning Aulfric square in the chest. Aulfric met a mortal fate and shattered as if he was made of glass.

Sophia's attention whipped over to her father's dismembering and then onto Merlin. Her raised hand shifted from the drowning Arthur to the invading Merlin. She spoke so quick that Merlin was not able to mutter the enchantment again to destroy her mortal body as well. Merlin flew backwards, slamming into a tree trunk behind him. Kadian jumped from her concealment and raced over to Merlin.

Kadian gazed over at Sophia as her eyes glared at her and Merlin, picking them apart. Her teeth were clenched tight as her arm shifted enough to point her hand at Kadian.

_Snap!_

An arrow sliced through the air, pinning Sophia in the throat as she opened her tiny lips to mutter a vile enchantment at Kadian. The sidhe's breath was taken away as her eyes moved up, into the depths of the lush trees where shadow-cast face stared back at her with deep, dark blue eyes and a vengeful smile.

Azura leapt down from the cover of the trees without a sound. Her feet were bare as they pressed down into the grass. She wore a black cloak over her regular white dress. "_I warned you_," Azura shouted grimly, in a voice that was her own but not. A second arrow had already been notched in the bow she held in her grasp. "_Good-bye, Sophia_." She raised the bow and released the bowstring, sending the arrow spiralling toward Sophia with impeccable speed.

"_El 'zil natha dhyn,_" Azura sneered as the arrow dug into Sophia's right eye, spraying blood into the murky lake water. Sophia fell to her knees and dispersed like her father had; her mortal shell was lost, along with her mortal life.

Her eyes turned to Merlin as he rose to his feet, handing the staff to Kadian as he ran forward and dove into the water. She gazed at Kadian with a dark stare, gripping the bow tighter and tighter in her hand as she reached back for a third arrow.

"Don't you _dare_!" Kadian sneered, hearing Merlin resurface, shouting Arthur's name. Was it too late? "Azura, I don't want to do this."

"You're a petty, little princess, aren't you?" Azura grinned, retracting her hand before it touched the end of the third arrow. "We both know you don't have the backbone to kill me, one of your closest friends. I do not wish to harm you, but I can always _make an exception_."

"Zu, do not take another step," Kadian grinned, glancing over at Merlin as he resurfaced again with no luck in locating Arthur underneath the water. "Please, I know that the real Azura is in there, she wouldn't let you hurt me."

"That girl is dead," Azura replied, running a hand through her bangs.

Merlin surfaced with a large splash, holding Arthur in his grasp. His eyes moved over to Azura and Kadian, feeling the heat building between the two. "Now would be a great time for you to wake up, Arthur," he muttered, making his way to dry ground. He rested Arthur on his back and checked for a pulse.

Kadian's eyes drifted over to her motionless brother, hoping that they had arrived in enough time, which they had.

"_Argh!_" Azura screamed, notching the third arrow in her quiver in a flash.

Kadian turned her head at Azura's dark tone. She caught her breath and dropped the staff in her hand. The third arrow was aimed at Merlin.

The princess' heart raced and she ran forward while Azura's twisted grin stretched along with the bowstring. Everything went silent. There was no wind; no birdsong; just the racing beat of their hearts. Kadian took hold of the bow, moving its aim away from Merlin as the arrow sped through the air. She fought Azura's strong grasp and pried the wood from her fingers as she kicked her gut.

With a quick movement, she snapped the bow in half with her knee and threw the pieces to the ground. Azura fell into the shallows of the lake, her arm outstretched toward the bow. Her eyes were a bright blue, wide with fright and sadness. "No..." she whispered, eyeing the splinters of her mother's bow as the gradually fell to the dirt.

"Zu?" Kadian asked, stepping forward extremely cautiously.

It happened so quickly, Merlin did not have time to blink. Azura was on top of Kadian, her eyes dark as night with one hand pressed against Kadian's shoulder and the other around her neck. Kadian could hear Merlin shouting for Azura to release her. She tried to push Azura off but the grasp she had was too strong. Her face began to turn red, then purple.

There was a tree limb within her grasp and Kadian reached for it with all her might. Shakily, her fingers wrapped around the tree limb and slammed it into Azura's temple, knocking her away and releasing her tight grasp. Kadian jumped to her feet and held the tree limb before her like it was a sword. "_Purkagia,_" she hissed and orange flames licked up the wood. Kadian's eyes locked with Azura's, seeing nothing but complete darkness behind those midnight eyes.

Azura rose to her feet, keeping her stance low and ready like a cougar. The screaming in the back of her mind was ear piercing, pleading for her to stop, but the possessor would not listen. She leapt toward Kadian.

Kadian slashed the flaming limb through the air before Azura's eyes, staining the air with an orange flare, whipping before Azura's face. A shriek escaped Azura's lips, so chilling glass would have shattered. Azura fell to the ground with her hands pressed against her face and her knees against her chest.

The flaming branch collapsed into the lake water, extinguishing the oranges flames. Kadian sighed and gazed over at Merlin who had risen to his feet to run to her, but his feet stayed still against the grass. He felt it too: the darken presence that ominously loomed around them. _Why is it that once we stop something bad from happening, something else that's worse comes to kill us?_ Kadian thought, glancing around as she slowly made her way over to Merlin.

A glimmer of silver caught Kadian's eye and she turned her gaze away from Merlin and to the dagger that flew in the air, ringing like clashing blades against the wind's howl. She shut her eyes and held her breath; the dagger was moving too quickly for her to get out of the way.

This was it, her death. There was nothing she or Merlin could do to stop the reaper from taking her.

Her back touched the ground, surprisingly much slower than she had suspected. Her eyelids pulled back, curious to see what death was like, but all she saw was Azura hovering above her with her right arm straightened over Kadian's head. "Zu?" Kadian asked, blinking to make sure she was seeing correctly. Between Azura's index finger and thumb was the dagger.

With one, quick movement, Azura turned and flung the dagger at the being who threw it. The silver was a blur as it soared through the air, cutting down anything in its path. "Get out of here," Azura said as she pulled Kadian to her feet. "Take Arthur and go!"

"No," Kadian stated. "I won't let you face this _thing_ by yourself."

"_You should listen to our little elf,_" a voice sneered from the cover of the trees. "_We wouldn't want the princess of Camelot getting injured, now would we?"_

"Why won't you _go away_? You're just as bad as Arthur," Azura grumbled, pulling a dagger from the concealment of her cloak. The hilt of the dagger was shining gold, inlaid with bright blue stones and unique engravings, and the blade itself was perfectly straight at sharper than any knife Kadian had ever seen. "Who are you?"

"_I am you, Azura,_" the voice said, coming closer as a shadow emerged from the trees. A figure faded into view from the depths of the shadow. She had grey skin, midnight eyes and long, raven locks that billowed like shadows with the wind. However, the feature that scared Kadian was the pointed ears.

"Last time _I_ checked, I'm standing right here," Azura growled holding out her arms.

The dark elf grinned and ran toward Azura lifting her by the throat and throwing her into the wood. Kadian watched in awe as the elven girl dashed after Azura with astonishing speed and threw her again. This time she landed in front of Kadian with a bone-crushing _thud_. She stumbled to her feet, taking deep breaths as she fought to keep balance. "_Why won't you fight back? Too scared?_" the elf chimed, landing in front of Azura with a child-like smile.

"You've played with my fears long enough, you insane bitch," Azura sneered. She twirled the dagger she had in her hand that she refused to let go of.

"_Ooo_," the elf cooed, holding her arms out wide, opening many targets. "Take your best shot."

Azura grinned and was before the elf in a flash, the dagger in her hand piercing the elf's chest and heart. "Good-bye," Azura sneered, releasing dagger and jumping backwards to be by Kadian as Merlin helped her to her feet.

The elf gazed down at the dagger sticking out of her chest. Black ooze trickled down her tattered clothing. "_My job here is done_," the elf smiled. She pulled the dagger from her chest and threw it to the ground. Her face began to crack and break off into pieces. Each fracture multiplied into millions of tiny ones, spreading across her pale body like an infectious disease. Through the crevasses, oozed black blood that fall to the earth like a waterfall. The dark elf's screams shattered her broken body into thousands of tiny shards that blew away in the howling wind.

It was over; the curse was gone.

Kadian and Merlin slowly moved their heads to look at Azura as she stood, paralyzed where she had killed the elven girl. All they needed to do was wave fire before Azura's face to break the curse; if only they had thought of it a day ago, none of this would have happened. _Fire. Why fire?_ Kadian thought. Long, crooked flames had taken Luthrembel from Azura; they had nearly taken her from the world of light; and they had taken place as her greatest fear, one that would wake her from her nightmares when they were close enough to consume her. Even the warming fires in the fireplace scared her.

"Start taking Arthur back to Camelot," Kadian said, pushing Merlin towards her unconscious brother as she walked to Azura and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's over."

"Thank you," Azura said, her head slowly turning her eyes to set on Kadian. "You have no idea how much..." Her voice was cut off. The wood and lake were spinning around her, spinning faster and faster.

"What's wrong?" Kadian gasped, catching Azura as she stumbled forward with her arms against her stomach. "Zu?"

Azura fell to her knees, wincing in agony as she gazed up at Kadian with pain-filled eyes. "I told you... my magic isn't strong enough..." she said, whipping blood as it trickled down the edge of her lips.

Kadian caught her again, this time as she fell into unconsciousness.

-x-

It was near midday by the time Merlin and Kadian returned to Camelot with Arthur and Azura unconscious. Gaius took Azura to her chamber and instructed Kadian and Merlin to wait beside Arthur until he woke; the prince was going to have a lot of questions due to the fogginess of his memory. Kadian rung her damp hair out as she quickly changed into decent clothes behind the screen in Arthur's chamber. It was nice to be in warmer, not-wet clothes. She took a seat beside Merlin just as Arthur began to moan and stir from sleep. They looked at each other and Merlin asked, "Arthur?"

Arthur was lying on his back, eyes toward the ceiling and the blankets up to his waist. "What happened?" he asked, slowly parting his eyelids as he came to. "Where am I?"

The prince lifted his head off his pillow and slouched forward.

"Can you remember anything?" Kadian asked.

Arthur went to sit forward and a hand shot to his head. "Oh, my head," he groaned, running his hand through his messy blonde hair. He thought for a moment, searching through the thick fog that cloaked his memories. "There was a girl... Sophia... she... I asked my father something about her..." the prince said as the fog began to clear. "I asked him..." Arthur paused, slowly remembering the incident in the throne room. He sat up straight, arms behind his back to keep him still as he realized the trouble he was going to be in. "What was I thinking!" he exclaimed.

"Well, we did wonder..." Merlin stated, holding back a laugh. "Especially after you eloped with her last night."

"I did what?" Arthur exclaimed, turning to face Kadian and Merlin directly.

"Merlin had to bring you back to Camelot," Kadian explained.

"I don't recall any of this," Arthur replied, shaking his head furiously.

Kadian turned to Merlin. "Must have been some blow," she said, nodding her head in approval.

"What _blow_?" Arthur growled, his eyes switching over to Merlin.

"When I caught up to you I couldn't persuade you to return, you were beyond reason," Merlin explained, lying through his teeth and shockingly he was doing a very good job. "So, I, er, had to make you."

"_You_ managed to knock me out?" Arthur questioned, angrily and wondrously.

"Yep, with lump of wood," Merlin nodded, folding his hands together.

"I don't believe you," Arthur replied shaking his head in opposition.

"Would you believe us if we said Azura did it?" Kadian asked, sliding her arm down Merlin's and taking one of his clenched hands.

Arthur sat up further, placing his head in his hands. "I'm a dead man," he moaned as every memory flashed before his eyes at once when Azura was brought up; their fight in her chamber; his hand hitting her worried face as she begged with him to see reason; and the sudden change in her temper, followed by the shattering of glass against the shut door behind him. "How could I have been so stupid?" he asked aloud, lifting his head out of his hands. "Does she know about..."

"I suspect so," Kadian sighed.

"I need to apologize, I-I..." Arthur said, throwing the covers off of him.

"Arthur, don't even think about it," Kadian growled, grabbing her brother and pulling him back into bed. "The last thing she needs is you. After getting into that cat-fight with Sophia and falling down a flight of stairs, I really don't think she wants to talk to you."

Arthur looked between the two of them as Merlin acknowledged her complete lie. "No one else can know about this, you understand?" he growled, pointing his finger at the two of them. "No one!" With that, he fell back, against his fluffy pillow. His hands went up to his face as he took in everything that he had done while Sophia had been in Camelot, especially everything that he may never see return to normal.

-x-

Later that afternoon, Arthur went before his father and the royal court. Kadian sat to her father's left with Morgana, listening as her brother apologized for his actions over the previous days. "When you didn't show up for patrol this morning I feared that you had eloped with Sophia in a fit of passion," Uther said, standing before his son who would not meet his gaze.

Arthur glanced over at Merlin, who stepped forward, despite the glare he received from Kadian. "I wish he had, because I wouldn't be standing before you feeling like an idiot, again," the manservant sighed as he folded his sweaty fingers together behind his back.

Uther's eyes shifted over to his son's servant and he, casually, took a few steps toward him. "This is becoming a near-daily occurrence for you," the king stated grimly; his face stared to burn as he looked at the servant.

"But, it was a mistake. It wasn't really anyone's fault..." Merlin said, receiving a death-glare from Arthur that matched Kadian's. "You can say that it was mine."

The king turned away. "Can someone tell me what happened?"

"Well…" Merlin went to say.

"Someone with a brain," Uther clarified.

"After Sophia left," Arthur explained, "I wanted to take my mind off her, so I went for a hunt."

"And killing things mends a broken heart?" Morgana said disbelievingly; all eyes fell upon her.

"No," Arthur said sternly and looked away from her; she had been among the few that tried to spare him from this humiliation. "It's just good fun. Merlin was meant to inform you that I wasn't to return until later today." Arthur waved his arm toward Merlin as his father stalked toward his servant.

"Have you some kind of metal infliction?" the king asked.

Merlin met the king's gave and dropped his head. "Probably," he admitted.

"I'm looking into it, sire," Gaius said from his position behind his nephew.

"Well, I hope for our sake you find a cure," Uther said, "or we'll find ourselves with a food shortage on our hands."

Merlin chuckled slightly. "Food shortage..." he said and then realized what the king meant as everyone's eyes shifted onto Merlin. Without another word, two guards took him and locked him in the stocks where the troublesome youth of Camelot tossed rotten fruit and potatoes at him.

Uther had dismissed the court once the convict had been taken from the room. Kadian rose to her feet and just shook her head as she walked by her brother and the court physician. However, Arthur did not get the hint that she did not want to speak with him and followed her from the chamber. "Kadian, wait," he said, running in front of her to cease her angered steps. "I need your help with something..."

"I am not getting myself locked in the stocks," she hissed, walking around her brother.

"_Kadian_, you know I didn't mean for him to get locked in the stocks three times," Arthur explained jogging after her.

"Two times," she corrected. "You owe me one. What do you want?"

"I need to get Azura back," he confessed once she finally stopped and turned to face him.

"That's your problem, not mine," Kadian replied.

"_Please_," he pleaded, "she won't listen to me. I can't take it, Kadian. Her glares are like being stabbed in the chest over and over again. I care for her more than anyone can even imagine..."

"I wonder why," Kadian sighed, rolling her eyes and walking back to be directly in front of him. "Listen closely, I am going to tell you exactly what to do and you must do so exactly the way I say it: everyday, you send her a flower and apologize until she yells at you for apologizing."

"Then she'll forgive me?" Arthur questioned.

Kadian shook her head. "Hell no. Then, you apologize for your apologizes," she continued.

"Begging?" Arthur sighed.

"Yes, begging. Has a nice ring to it: _beg-ging_," Kadian nodded with a wide grin.

"So I send her flowers, apologize, then apologize for apologizing. Then, she'll forgive me?" Arthur nodded, taking in her instructions.

"Probably not, but it is a damn good start," Kadian stated, turning away from her brother. "She needs to know that you love her, Arthur. You threw her away and now it's going to be hell to even get her to think about coming back." The princess left her brother there to drown away in her stabbing last words.

-x-

Merlin sat in the physician's chamber, Kadian had been called away and Morgana had just left with another phial of a sleeping draft that Gaius had conjured for her. He looked up at the physician once the door had shut behind Morgana's skirt. "Is she like me, Gaius? Can she use magic?" he asked, referring to Morgana.

"No one is like you Merlin," Gaius replied, moving around the room and placing phial after phial in their appropriate spots.

"Kadian is," Merlin stated, causing the physician to drop one of the glass containers in his hands. It shattered against the floor and its contents spilled and pooled at his feet.

The court physician turned to his nephew and stepped over the shattered glass to sit on the opposite end of the table. "I fear that she is not, Merlin," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "There are some things that even she doesn't know about herself."

"What are you saying?" Merlin asked, tilting his head to the side like a curious puppy.

"I cannot say," Gaius replied reluctantly, rising to his feet to clean up the shards of glass. His suspicions had grown throughout the years, sometimes changing or returning to what they had been before. He had seen Kadian's magic ever since she first discovered it, when she was gravely ill as a young child; she had nearly thrown him out the window with a single thought after he tried to administer a foul tasting potion. Her magic had a different feeling to it, powerful, but oddly misplaced.

-x-

The next day, a maidservant, one who Uther had appointed to keep watch over her, entered Azura's bright room with a single flower in her hand with a note attached to its long, curly stem. "This just came for you, my lady," the maid said softly, holding the flower out for Azura to take as she rose from her seat on the windowsill. Azura crossed the room with a slight limp in her gait and retrieved the flower from the maid's pale hand. It was a white rose, freshly picked from the nearby field. Hesitantly, she opened the note, reading it in her mind: _I'm sorry_.

With a headshake, Azura tossed the note into one of the flickering, lit candles and watched as the parchment burned and the ink turn the flames to black until the parchment was a pile of grey ash.

-x-

_**Here are the translations for this chapter:**_

_Thanks to Eilisatraee for translation._

**El 'zil natha ****dhyn**_- __Die as a mortal_.

**Purkagia**_-_ _fire_.

_**Next time on **_**Forbidden Magic and Desire**_**:**_

_**Days continue and Arthur continuously fails to regain Azura's friendship. Will they be able to stand each other enough to find the Druid boy that is hiding somewhere within the shadows of Camelot? Uther states that whomever is shielding the boy will meet the exact same fate: death; will the king follow out with his words when his own daughter is found smuggling the boy out of Camelot and a shocking action by the boy puts another up for the blame?**_


	10. Episode Nine: The Beginning of the End

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x ****OC**** and Merlin x ****OC****.**

**We don't own ****BBC's**** Merlin, only our ****OCs**** and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

It had been two weeks since the incident at the lake, and all those in Camelot, except for the handful that were present, knew about Arthur's eloping with Sophia whether it be intentional or not. Each day since, Arthur had taken Kadian's advice and sent Azura a flower and apologized every chance he had; but Azura would not hear him.

The sky was navy with several orange hues faded on the shadowed horizon. The wind was chilly and the crickets chirped their wonderful lullaby within the walls of the grand city. Inside the majestic palace, Kadian sat in her chamber on Merlin's lap. The books of magic were before them, lying open with their aged-yellow pages filled with forbidden, magic spells. Things in Camelot had been quiet, surprisingly too quiet for their liking. Not once had a sorcerer or demonic spirit tried to break down the walls of Camelot or destroy the society from its roots.

"Look at this one," Kadian said and pointed to the top-most spell on the page. "It allows the user to see in the dark for a short period of time."

Merlin gazed over Kadian's shoulder and murmured the enchantment under his breath. "Would've come in handy with the afanc," he muttered, flipping the page to the next enchantment.

Kadian shivered and felt her chest to make sure it was not cut. "Don't remind me," she said grimly, resting her head back against his shoulder; he kissed the top of her head.

"_Will you just _stop _and listen to me for just a second?_" a voice shouted from the hallway; Kadian and Merlin looked up, recognizing the voice to belong to Arthur.

Quickly, Kadian sealed the books and slid them underneath the sheets. She rose to her feet and raced to the door with Merlin following; she pressed her ear to the door to this to the argument outside.

"_I am listening. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop,_" Azura hissed; she was walking by Kadian's chamber. Exchanging glances with Merlin, Kadian moved closer to the door; they enjoyed eavesdropping on the two as they fought.

"_I'm _really _sorry_," Arthur said pleadingly; he was directly beside the door, his voice was clearer than Azura's. "_I never meant to... I don't know what came over me. It'll never happen again, I promise. Please, Zu. I am sorry_."

"_Will you stop apologizing already!_" Azura hissed angrily. By the faintness of her voice, she was at the far end of the hall.

Arthur sighed and slammed a fist into Kadian's door; Merlin and Kadian stumbled back at the impact with their ears ringing. "_Stop eavesdropping_," he snarled and chased after Azura, each footstep growing quieter.

Kadian turned to Merlin with a big smile. "Let's go," she grinned and slowly pulled the door open, making sure that Arthur was no where to be seen. The corridor was clear and she pulled Merlin after her.

"But Arthur said..." Merlin protested, forcing Kadian to stop in the middle of the hall.

"Since when do I listen to Arthur?" Kadian asked, staring at him curiously. She grabbed Merlin by the wrist and pulled him along.

-x-

Azura stormed into the courtyard enraged; two fists were clenched at her sides. She did not falter as Arthur shouted for her to stop. It was hard for her to hold back the urge to launch an arrow into his skull like she had Sophia, the sidhe who desired to trade Arthur's life for immortality.

"_Azura, wait!"_ Arthur shouted as he emerged in the courtyard. Though the dim light, he could barely see the skirt of her ivory gown and the gold lace that glinted like tiny jewels in the dying light. She continued onward as if his voice was as silent as the cool wind.

Arthur sighed, not wanting to give in, and ran after her and into the shadows. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to turn to her. She tore her wrist from his grasp, shouting, "Let _go_ of me." She punched him with her left and he stumbled back, his hand shooting to his aching face. "Who the _hell_ do you think you are?"

He stared dumbfounded at her for she could punch harder than he initially thought. The fury in her eyes was hard to endure. "Please, give me another chance," he begged gently, rubbing his cheek.

"Why should I? You weren't there for me when _I_ need you the most and you ran off with that pitiful excuse for a girl! And you expect me to let you waltz right back to where you were as if nothing happened? Well, you're dead wrong!" Azura hissed, stomping her foot on the ground angrily; she met his guilty, pleading stare.

"I'm sorry, Zu," Arthur said softly as he stepped toward her. As he moved, she turned away from him and crossed her arms at her chest.

"I don't care," Azura snarled, looking up at the sky as dark-grey clouds rolled over Camelot.

"I'm sorry for not believing you when you said that she had bewitched me." He ran a shaking hand through his hair; it was hard to admit his wrongs. "I'm sorry for..." Oh, there was so much for him to choose from; too much for him to count, "for everything I did. I didn't know what to do. I-I was afraid of what was happening to you."

"_You_ were afraid of what was happening to _me_? Awe, how _sweet_. I was afraid of what was happening to me too!" Azura smiled; her voice had a hint of madness.

"You don't have to be sarcastic," Arthur grumbled.

"Sarcasm, bah. You thought I was mad, didn't you? Unlike everyone else in this godforsaken kingdom, I'm going to be complete honest with you," Azura sneered and stepped further from his reach. She knew that she needed to leave certain aspects out, but she spoke with all honesty, the cold hard truth. "Sophia did not continue on her merry way once you were taken back to Camelot, if you believe that stupid lie. I _killed_ her, Arthur. I watched her bleed where she stood, with an arrow lodged in her throat. Before you ask, I will tell you this: I was cursed by a enchantress about a month or so ago."

"_Cursed_?" Arthur gasped; he knew her too well to think she was mad. "You never said..."

"I couldn't say. I had to sit back and let it torture me until it turned me into the thing I feared the most: a murderer, a cold-blooded killer! I watched and cowered as it toyed with me, poking and prying until finally, I lost. I fought it, tried to stop it from harming the people I cared about most, not caring that it meant another day of pure agony for myself! I went through hell, and for what? To be stabbed in the back by you!"

"I never meant to hurt you, Zu. Why don't you understand?" Arthur replied compassionately. A raindrop fell and trickled down his brow, followed by a second, and then a third until the clouds poured the sky tears. Thunder bellowed and a flash of lightening illuminated Camelot for a second, showing Arthur the face of pure hatred as Azura whipped around.

"No, _you_ don't understand!" Azura hissed. She was drenched almost instantly, but she paid no mind and shivered unconsciously at the cold drops on her arms. "That... that _nightmare_ did not end for me when the curse was broken. Every time I wake up, I think: I'm going home today, I'm going to see my family, my people; but after a few moments, it sinks in. I'm never going home! I'm never going to see my family ever again! Maybe I am going mad, but I know all too well that what I see is reality."

She turned away, her fiery wrath dying down as the cold rain cloaked her skin. Tears swam down her cheeks, merging with the rivers of rain that streamed down her face. "Why shouldn't I walk away right now and never come back?"

Kadian and Merlin watched from the shadows of the doorway leading into the palace. The sound of the rain beating against the stone echoed through the courtyard as the sound of their voices faded away as Azura waited for Arthur's answer. His answer would choose whether or not Azura would consider taking him back or leave him forever.

"_I love you_, Zu," Arthur stated. He wiped his soaked hair from his eyes and stared at her silhouette; his heart was beating furiously, he did not realize what he had said, but he felt relieved that he had said the three words. "And nothing in this kingdom, this entire world means more to me than you."

Azura slowly turned around. Her bright blue eyes fell upon his handsome face, seeing the truth for what it was. His words had startled her; it was the first time he had admitted it and it was probably the first time he really meant it. Kadian grinned as Arthur's words echoed through the air and she took Merlin by the hand and pulled him into the palace; this was their cue to leave.

"Please, Zu, don't make me get on my knees," Arthur pleaded, moving closer. "Don't go."

"I-I..." She was utterly speechless, unable to process a single thought into words. "Let's get out of this blasted rain," Azura replied shakily. She walked by Arthur and entered the palace, dripping wet, and rang out her hair, leaving a puddle of water that someone could slip on later.

Arthur followed her as she climbed the staircase to the level where her chamber lay, silent as a mouse. She shivered as she pushed the door open, walked inside, and turned to shut the door. "Goodnight, Arthur," she said softly as the door sealed away every thing but the paleness of her face and the flickering light of the torches lining the corridor. "We'll talk tomorrow."

Arthur nodded. "Goodnight," he replied with a gentle smile and watched as the door sealed her inside completely. He waited until he heard the soft click of the lock before he disappeared down the hall, down the staircase, and into his chamber where he collapsed onto the bed relieved.

-x-

Azura woke early that morning as a hand rasped against her chamber door. Moaning, she sat up and ran a dazed hand through her messy hair as she tossed the blankets off. The floor was cold against her feet as she stood, her nightgown touched the floor, and she went to the door slowly, pulling it open.

Kadian smiled as the door gradually open, revealing Azura to be standing half-asleep on the other side. "Sorry for waking you... Can we talk?" she wondered with a smile.

"What is there to talk about?" Azura replied and held the door open wide to let Kadian in. Letting the door shut on its own, she crossed the chamber and pulled open the blue curtains, letting the warm, lemon sunlight pool into the chamber.

"When you woke from the curse," Kadian began as she gazed around the chamber; the sheets were messy on the bed and the tabletops were cluttered with many packets of parchment, several of which were stained with ink, "you said that we would talk about certain things. I think that time is now."

"Kadian, what is there to talk about?" Azura replied as she pushed open the window. A soft breeze swept through the chamber and Azura turned to face Kadian, her hair falling in ruffled waves against her face. "I told you everything you wanted two weeks ago."

"That was the last time we talked since... you know..." Kadian stated as she inadvertently pulled the bed sheets up to the flat pillows and straightened them nicely before she sat. She recalled that Uther had appointed a maid for Azura, and she wondered where the maid was. "I'm sorry for breaking your mother's bow, but I don't think that calls for reason to be angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you," Azura replied hastily while she retrieved a gown from the trunk at the foot of the bed. After several days of being pampered by the appointed maid, she had relieved the poor girl from her duties. Azura did not feel like she needed someone to look after her, dress her, clean up after her, and so much more; she did not feel worthy enough to have someone labouring over her. Azura disappeared around the screen and quickly stripped and draped the gown over her head until it just touched the floor, tickling the top of her feet.

Kadian sighed. "Don't lie to me," the princess said gently and looked at the table where the fragments of the bow lay. "I know it was important to you."

Azura did not reply at first and reappeared from behind the screen. Tossing her nightgown into the open trunk, she took a seat in front of the desk where her jewellery boxes lay open and gemstones glistened in the radiant sunlight. "I've learned that I need to let go of my past and only concentrate on the present and future," Azura replied, as she took a comb and ran its tiny teeth through he knotted hair. "What is gone is gone, I cannot change the past."

Kadian was speechless. The words that escaped Azura's lips startled her beyond belief. Never before had she heard Azura speak in such a matter; her deceased family and demolished kingdom were the only things she cared about many weeks ago, besides Arthur; it was her entire means of living. Kadian always believed that it had been Azura's ambition to discover what happened to her home. The new Azura scared her. "How can you say that? You can't just forget about your family, your people as if they never existed!" Kadian replied appalled.

"I did not say that I forgot them," Azura replied in a low, mellow voice. "I just put them behind me. I cannot wallow away on false hopes, Kadian. I don't expect you to understand."

"Why? Because I'm not an elf?" Kadian sneered, getting to her feet.

"No, because you aren't stuck between two different lives," Azura replied as she placed the comb on the desk. She turned to Kadian. "I am only half-elf. If I dwell on my past, I will get myself killed, or worse, kill more people than I already have."

"You didn't kill Sophia, the cursed did." Kadian rolled her eyes. "I don't want us to fight..." She paused. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Azura smiled with a curt nod as she turned to gaze at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was still wavy from the curls in obtained throughout the night. Sighing, Azura grabbed a handful of pins and tied her hair back into an intricate bun.

"Would you really have left Camelot?" Kadian asked wondering as she crossed the chamber to stand by her friend. She stared at their reflections in the mirror, how different they were than she remembered. Azura's hair was much darker than hers and though their eyes said the same thing, they varied in shade. Kadian could picture Azura with a pair of slanted, pointed ears instead of the rounded ones she had; she would have been the same, just as gorgeous. No, Kadian was not envious, just curious at the subtle differences that were between humans and elves, even half-elves.

"Yes," Azura admitted, shifting her gaze from the mirror as she rose to her feet and slid into her white ballet flats. "Please, let's leave it at that."

"Alright," Kadian nodded; the answer was not surprising.

"I'm heading into the town, care to join me?" Azura smiled, turning to look at herself in the mirror. She nodded approvingly.

Kadian shook her head. "I can't," she replied, "I actually have some things to attend to. Maybe next time."

"Alright, tell Merlin I said 'hello'," Azura smiled brightly and walked to the door. She held it open for Kadian and shut it once her skirt was out of the way. Bidding farewell, she departed down the corridor and out into the courtyard, toward the lower town.

-x-

The sun was warm against her skin as she stepped into the busy streets. On all sides, the street was lined with fruit, vegetable and merchant stands where shillings were exchanged across the tables and merchandise was placed in the customer's hands. It relaxed Azura to see the subtle smiles on each person's face as she went by, and even when she was not. Graciously declining the merchants who offered her things, she continued on her way with her hands folded behind her back and her gaze absently shifting from thing to thing.

She journeyed into a shaded street of the market, curious to the new merchants that had set up shop there. Stopping, she gazed over at the nearest merchant where a steel-barred cage was resting on the cluttered table. Inside was a small animal whose short fur was blotched black and tan. There was a blotch of black across its beady, dark eyes.

"Aw! What a cute ferret!" Azura smiled as she went over.

The bald merchant looked up from his other merchandise at the sound of Azura's soft voice. "Ah, yes," he grinned, placing a hand on the ferret's cage; the creature flinched as the cage trembled. "Troublesome little bugger, he is. Ten shillings and he's yours."

"Oh, I haven't any money," Azura sighed, scratching the little animal's forehead through the bars with her finger.

The merchant stared passed her like she was a translucent spectre and his eyes grew wide with uncanny fright. Whipping his attention to the smiling Azura, who poked her finger through the narrow bars of the cage to pet the ferret, he saw that the ferret was fairly fond of her and opened the cage door hastily. His grasp was tight as he pulled the ferret from its cage and held it out toward her. "Here," he said hastily, glancing passed her again, "for such a pretty lady, no charge."

Azura's face glowed as she took the ferret from his grasp and held it to her chest; it nuzzled her playfully beneath her chin. "Thank you, sir," Azura smiled brightly. "I will make sure your kindness is…"

"Please, go," he whispered perturbed. A darkly cloaked man and a small boy approached the merchant, resting an impatient hand on the tabletop.

"Do you have my supplies?" the cloaked man asked as he rested his other hand on the boy's shoulder. The young boy, shrouded in the shadows of an emerald cloak, looked up at Azura and his dazzling green eyes grew wide at sight of her. He tugged on the man's brown cloak, but he paid no mind and murmured for him to remain silent.

The merchant glanced over at Azura, eyeing her curiously, and then stared beyond her; there was a group of marching soldiers holding pikes descending into the bustling street. His eyes travelled onto the man and the boy as he handed them a small, black bag. "I'm sorry," he said softly and let his gaze fall onto his guilty hands that rested agitatedly at the edge of the table.

Glancing down the street frantically, the cloaked man took the boy hastily by the wrist and pushed Azura out of his way as the two raced away; they pushed their way rudely through the traffic of commoners and vanished from sight.

Sitting up, her face smitten with her disgust, Azura frowned as ugly, brown mud slithered down her arms like slow snakes. Her dress was covered with the disgusting mud and sunk her shoulders, petting her ferret calmingly on the head; it, too, was drenched. She stared off in the direction of which the man and boy raced away in a hurry to escape the pursuing soldiers. The boy had looked up at her, bewitched by her presence, and she could not help but wonder if he knew who, or what, she was.

"My Lady! I apologize!" the merchant exclaimed and walked swiftly around his stand to see if she was unharmed; the king would have his head. He seemed to relax that the grimace on her face was from the stench of the mud that from injury.

"It is quite alright," Azura stated dismissively as she ran her fingers tenderly down the ferrets spine. "You did the right thing..." She left her voice drift away with the gentle gale and stood without aid. Without another sound, she turned sharply and stormed to the palace to change out of the dripping, ruined dress and change into a new one, and possibly bath in the process; but most off all, she wanted to introduce her new pet to its new home.

-x-

Merlin strolled leisurely through the palace corridors, gazing amuck for his day's work was nearly complete; all he had left was to clean Arthur's chambers. It was a shock that Arthur had left him very little to do for the day, he had Azura to thank for that.

_Emrys!_ a struggling voice cried; Merlin stopped, glancing down each end of the corridor. He was alone, but where had the voice come from? He shook his head, figuring he was hearing things again, and continued onward.

Emerging in the busy square, he heard the voice cry that name again, _Emrys!_. He stopped in his trek and glanced about; there were soldiers swarming the square, asking the commoners about something, and undoubtedly seeking an unfortunately magician, or supposed magician, in the name of Uther Pendragon.

His gaze fell upon a young boy sitting in the shadows of an overturned wagon. The boy's face was shrouded by a emerald cloak, but Merlin could see the dire pain that swelled inside the boy's wide, petrified eyes. A hand was clasped against his arm, hiding a wound. _Emrys, you have to help me!_

Merlin raised an eyebrow as the child spoke without twitching his dry lips; it had to have been the boy, there eyes were lock and there was no one else nearby. _Why are they after you?_ he wondered, watching the boy curiously; the soldiers stormed into a corridor to check for the boy.

_Please! They're gonna kill me!_ the boy pleaded, shifting his position uncomfortably. The soldiers were shouting at each other from the area they were searching.

Nodding, Merlin casually strolled over to a narrow passage in the shadows of the staircase he had descended. _This way, quickly,_ he thought, beckoning the boy toward him with a curt motion of his head.

Hesitantly, the child rose to his weary feet and raced across the courtyard to the vanishing Merlin. In the background, he could hear the soldiers shout for him to stop.

Taking the boy firmly by the hand, Merlin raced down the hall and around the corner. The soldiers were shouting orders to them as they were pursued. Panic surged through Merlin's veins as he pulled the child up a flight of stairs and down the adjacent and vacant hall.

He threw open the first door of the corridor the staircase lead to down and shit he swiftly after he pulled the boy inside.

"Merlin? I didn't expect you 'til later... what's…" Kadian looked up from the piece of parchment she was writing on. She set the quill into the inkwell as she shifted her gaze to the injured boy holding Merlin's hand tightly. The boy's eyes were pleading for her help, and she felt over powered by his angelic face and innocent charm.

"The guard is after him. I didn't know what else to do," Merlin explained, panting to capture his rapidly escaping breath. He stared at her, waiting for her to stay something, but her gaze was transfixed on the boy, studying him curiously like there was some recognition.

Their heart jerked and went silent as a metallic knock echoed off the wooden door. "My Lady?" a deep, masculine voice stated from the corridor.

"Over there, hurry." Kadian inadvertently pointed toward the curtain and swept her gaze from the boy, smiling weakly; there was a subtle feeling of caution in the depth of her stomach, what was she getting herself into? Taking a deep, calming breath, she crossed her chamber silent as a mouse and pulled back the door enough so only the gentle silhouette of her face could be seen. "Yes? What is it?"

"Sorry to disturb you, my lady," a soldier stated, dipping his head, and peered over the top of her head. He noticed her annoyance at his overlooking of her and turned his attention swiftly back to her eyes. "Are you with company?" His voice was tinted with suspicion.

"It is only myself," Kadian replied hastily, gripping the rough edge of the door. She stared curiously at the soldier and the several few who searched the long corridor. They were knocking furiously on the only other door of the corridor, receiving no answer; they kicked the door open and rushed inside. "Why do you ask?"

"A wanted boy was spotted heading this way, my lady. It would be best that you keep the door locked until he is found," the soldier explained with a curt nod; he could not help but ease his curiosity with another glance over her shoulder.

"I will. Thank you," Kadian nodded, smiling gratefully, and shut the door with a faint _click!_ of the lock. She waited for the footsteps to fade into the distance before she went and drew back the curtain.

Merlin was holding the boy in his arms; he had fallen unconscious and half-stood with sweat dripping in large beads from his brow. The warlock met her worried gaze and he slowly lifted the cup of his hand from the bleeding wound on the boy's arm. His palm and fingers were coated in glistening scarlet blood, and he wiped them clean as Kadian handed him a towel.

There was nothing that she could do than stare at the boy sympathetically as Merlin tried his best to dress the wound to stop the bleeding. The thought of him waiting petrified for the execution's axe to strike his neck filled Kadian with hatred. She wished to know why Uther deemed magic evil in his kingdom. Was it for Uther to decide that she was evil? That Azura, a child of a human father and elven mother, was evil? That even Morgana who glimpsed the future in her nightmares was an enemy?

-x-

Azura held a cream-coloured towel to her chest as she bent down to rummage through her messy trunk, looking for a suitable gown to wear. Most of hers were taken by the servants to be cleaned, while the mud-caked gown hung over the screen with an empty bucket beneath it to collect raining drops of brown. She had not had the chance to move her clothing, or what was left, into the wardrobe and sighed in defeat for there was a knock on the door.

"One minute," Azura answered sharply as she fumbled through the various golden artefacts, books, and smaller cases.

"Zu, it's me." It was Arthur and Azura glanced over at the door swiftly.

"Wait a bloody minute!" Azura hissed as she triumphantly pulled a light-blue gown from the trunk's belly. Shrugging, she dropped the towel to the floor and, as her naked skin trembled with the chill of her chamber, she slipped the gown over her head. Once the skirt kissed the floor, she hastily tied the strings of the bodice and spun to face the mirror. Its deep aqua silk went well with her fair skin and was accented with gold curlicues along the bottom. Thin, golden spirals twisted across her waist, branching out to the skirt and bodice. The sheer sleeves were long and trailing, touching the floor softly.

Watching herself in the mirror, Azura could see her mother, tall and elegant, wearing the very dress. It was the last gown Azura saw her in. She shook her head and dried her eyes with the back of her hand.

The door swung inward viciously and slammed against the brick wall, shaking the items on the shelves. Azura had jumped, letting loose a soft yelp. She scoffed perturbed as Arthur walked in casually. "You know, Arthur, patience is a virtue that you've yet to acquire," she scolded and crossed her arms at her chest. "I said to wait a bloody minute. I wasn't dressed."

"Nothing I haven't seen before," Arthur grumbled with his hands guiltily folded behind his back. He took a quick measure of the chamber, seeing nothing out of the ordinary and stepped further into the room.

Dismissing his last comment for she did not want to remember that night or day following, and walked to push open the window. "Have your men caught that druid?" Azura asked with a glance as she sat on the edge of her bed. "He owes me a dress."

Eyeing the dripping gown over the screen, Arthur laughed and took a seat beside her. "I'll buy you a new one," he smiled promisingly. "Yes they did. He'll be executed by sunset." By the way his voice was, it seemed like he was uncomfortable talking to her about it.

The dark grin that stretched along Azura's chin frightened Arthur slightly, but the fright did not surpass the urge to have her in his arms again; his hand twitched slightly. Then, when his mind was on a distant memory, Azura bent over and lifted something small onto her lap.

"Is that a rat?" Arthur exclaimed as the furred creature peered around Azura's arm, setting two, beady black eyes on him.

"No, silly," Azura giggled, stroking the creature's small head. "_Felipe_ is a ferret. A wonderful gentleman gave him to me earlier this day. Isn't he something?" Her smile was wide and caring as she let the ferret scamper off of her lap.

Felipe bounded over to her pillows where he sat and curled himself into a tight ball, resting his muzzle on his forepaws as he glance, or more so glared, at Arthur. After a long moment of staring at the prince, he tucked his snout underneath his belly fur and went to sleep.

"Certainly, something," Arthur commented with a deep grunt; he hated all rodents. They tended to gnaw through his boots when he was not looking and leave several piles of droppings at the side of his bed for him to step on.

"Oh, lighten up." Azura rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow.

Arthur chuckled amused at her weak attempt to push him off the edge of the bed. As he nudged her back, Azura collapsed onto her side jokingly with a bright smile. Like she had been wounded mortally, she rolled onto her back with her arms outstretched. "You've killed me," she laughed and letting her head fall to the side dramatically.

The prince, moving onto his hip, leaned over his fallen love and caressed her pink cheek with his hand. All of their previous problems melted away as Arthur gently turned her face to him and kissed her, soft and, perhaps, hesitantly. Oh, how long it had been since they had been this close, the memory was but a subtle glimpse. Rose pink flushed into her cheeks as the delicateness of his touch deepened to a once forgotten passion.

Azura wanted to pull her head away as Arthur kissed her like he used to, before Sophia, before the damned griffin; but she could not bring herself to and her lips curved into a smile. There was a heavy rataplan in her chest and she felt like she needed to take a breath, but still, she would not break their kiss.

Suddenly and with a start, Arthur pulled back like someone had torn him away. She sat up slowly, watching him curiously for he had clasped a hand over his over, wincing with pain.

"Arthur? What happened?" she asked sweetly, combing her fingers through her hair.

"_He_ bit me," Arthur growled harshly as he examined the back of his hand; there was a small, red spot between his thumb and index finger. He rubbed the spot to ease the sting.

"You liar," Azura frowned, staring unsympathetically at his hand. "He couldn't have. He is over there, sleeping." She rose to her feet, beaming at her slumbering ferret; Felipe looked so innocent in his ball.

"I'm telling you, Azura, he bit me," Arthur argued and rose to his feet swiftly, like the ferret, or whatever had, was going to bite him again. Felipe's ear twitched and he tightened his ball, shielding his face from the cold.

"Wow," Azura sighed with false disbelief. She shook her head as she stared at Arthur. "The prince of Camelot is complaining about a tiny cut on his hand. I thought that you'd complain about that rotten bruise on your face." She had not noticed the large, purple mark on his left cheek, and now that she did, she grinned at her work.

Staring at her with a scowl, he grumbled, "That hurt." He brought a hand to his cheek and stroked the bruise gently, wincing at the soft pain there was.

"That's what you get when you won't sod off," she smiled and stepped close to him. She brushed his hand away and rose onto her toes to kiss his cheek softly. Falling onto her heels soundlessly, she asked, "All better?"

Heavy a low sigh, Arthur had no choice but to renounce his accusation that Felipe bit him. The ferret was too diabolical for him and was, from that moment on, Arthur's new arch nemesis. "Much," he smiled and lifted her onto her toes again as he returned the favour with a peck on the lips.

He let her fall onto her heels and watched as she walked to the closed door with long, elegant strides that took his breath away. "Shall we?" she stated as she pulled the door open slightly, holding her hand out for him to take.

Nodding like he was in a trance, Arthur took her hand and accompanied her down the corridor. He glanced back at the ferret as he pulled the door shut slowly; Felipe was grinning at him with tiny, white teeth glinting in the sunlight.

-x-

Kadian leaned against the window alcove, watching as her father, brother and Azura stepped onto the balcony that extended from the throne chamber. Down below, in the square, knelt the druid who had entered the city to collect a mere sample of supplies for his journey with his son. The small druid boy that had accompanied the man was lying in her chamber, conscious now with a loose dressing on his wound. His alluring green eyes were glued to the window, at the sky that he could see from that angle.

Merlin stood behind Kadian, his arm wrapped around her waist. He, too, gazed out at the druid's execution, imagining himself, Kadian, Morgana and Azura in the man's place.

"People of Camelot," Uther bellowed to the gathered that stood around the chopping block, "the man before you is guilty of using enchantments and magic. Under our law, the sentence for this crime is death."

Arthur crossed his arms as Azura folded hers behind her back. She had the choice to not watch this, but there was something deep within her that brought her to keep her spot before Arthur, above the people of Camelot. It could have been her down there, staring up at the man who would give the order for her head to be removed, but luckily, it was not this time.

"We are still searching for his accomplice," the king continued with his eyes sweeping across the concerned faces. "Anyone found harbouring the boy will be found guilty of conspiracy and will be executed as a traitor."

Merlin exchanged worried glances with Kadian; if they were to get caught, it would be the end for the both of them and the druid boy. Surely, Uther may see reason to let his own flesh and blood live, but there would be no hope for a pardon on Merlin's behalf, nor the boy. Kadian's eyes fell upon her father again, her hatred bubbling up within her like vicious magma. Oh, how she wanted to cast a spell from the concealment of her window and smite him where he stood, or even send him a warning: his tyranny against magic would not last for much longer.

"Let this serve as a warning to your people," Uther stated sharply, staring at the druid below with sapphire eyes drenched in disgust.

"You let your fear of magic turn to hate," the druid man replied with a cocky grin curving his chapped lips. He gazed at the King with disappointment, feeling noting in his heart for the withered, old man. "I pity you."

"I-I can't watch this," Kadian stammered and turned from the window as her father's hand rose into the air with the executioner's axe mimicking the movement. She crossed her chamber and sat beside the boy, embracing him tightly in preparation for what was to happen. Through her embrace, she felt the burning anger inside of him as his breaths grew heated and rapid and his innocent eyes morphed into a gruesome, grey glare.

Uther's hand fell through the air until it was at his side once again.

_Argh!_ The boy cried with his lips pressed firmly together. Magic surged from the boy, shattering the small mirror that sat on the top of her wardrobe, reflecting the image of Kadian holding the druid in her arms protectively. His eyes were overcast with dark shadows, glaring at the shattered pieces as they cascaded onto the floor with silent crashes. Merlin had jumped at the sound of the boy's cry and stared at him now with sorrow-filled eyes.

Azura's head turned away before the blade pierced the druid's flesh, spilling blood onto the stump as his head lobbed onto the platform. However, she gazed upward, hearing a furious cry on the wind. Her blue eyes slowly trailed across the stern faces of the people of Camelot until her sight was set upon the single open window on the east side of the palace, the one where Kadian and Merlin had been watching from. It was there that the cry came from, she was sure of it, but she kept her suspicions to herself and turned her attention back to the bloody scene. No one else in the square had heard the cry, not even Uther and Arthur who stood nearest her.

-x-

The fork in Merlin's hand restlessly twirled on the plate before the young warlock, he was not hungry. Merlin sat in the physician's chamber, thinking for the proper way to speak with Gaius about the matter of the two druids in Camelot; but Merlin knew Gaius very well. The silent was agonizing and Merlin had to speak before it drove him mad. "Do you know much about the druids?"

Gaius gazed up from his work, leaving his hands to fiddle with the flasks and other substances that were on his workbench. "Not much, only that they are peaceful people, even with Uther hunting them," the court physician replied wisely, placing down the flask in his hand. He scribbled something on to the piece of parchment before him and looked up suddenly, spinning around to face Merlin with the feather of his quill pointing accusingly at the warlock. "Please tell me you haven't gotten yourself mixed up in all this."

"Me? No. Mixed up in what?" Merlin grumbled as he avoided the physician's quizzical stare; Gaius' eyes were beating on him, harsher than a whip could lash his back.

"Merlin," Gaius sighed scolding as he stalked across his chamber to stand before his nephew. "With such a big secret, you are a terrible liar."

"Well, I haven't done anything," Merlin replied fiercely, if not defensively. He met Gaius' stare with an assuring Gaius. Being a miracle that Gaius did not see his bluff, or maybe overlooking it, Gaius continued to stare at Merlin as he turned back to his supper. It did not look appetising and he rearranged the portions to make a weird design that he ruined as he threw the fork down in frustration.

Gaius could see the secretive glint in his eye as he hastily messed with his dinner. "Merlin." he grumbled demandingly.

Merlin glanced up at his name, but let his sight fall upon his supper again. Sinking his shoulders, he turned to the physician and sighed. "I heard him calling out. He was nowhere to be seen, but yet I could hear him calling out," Merlin paused as Gaius stalked closer, cocking an intrigued, white eyebrow; the warlock tapped his skull with his finger. "It was like he was inside my mind."

"Yes, I've heard of this ability. The druids look for children with suck abilities to serve as apprentices," Gaius mused, staring up toward the open window and the darkening silhouette of Camelot. The warm horizon pooled into his chamber with a fiery glow. He turned to Merlin. "While they search for this boy, you must be especially careful, not only you, but Kadian as well and even Azura," Gaius warned, pointing a finger at Merlin's chest. "Otherwise it will be the lot of you on the chopping block."

Merlin held his head up, proudly. "I'm always careful, you know me," he said.

"Yes, Merlin, unfortunately, I do."

-x-

Kadian strolled casually down the hall, only a handful of paces away from her chamber; she made sure that she exited the door sealed when she left the druid boy alone. The boy was sleeping restlessly behind the curtain bundled in a couple of spare blankets she had lying around her chamber. She knew that it would be a long while before Merlin was able to escape Gaius' watching eye to come check on her.

Hesitantly, she stopped before Azura's shut door; she prayed that Azura was in and not running amuck in the streets of Camelot with Arthur. "_Zu?_" she whispered into the wood with a gentle knock. Azura would be able to hear her delicate voice even in the loudest of places.

The door pulled back suddenly and Azura stood before her with her hair draped on her shoulders in a mass of waves and Felipe in her arms. "Yes?" she asked startled and glanced cautiously down each end of the corridor.

The princess gazed down at the ferret in Azura's arms and raised a hand to scratch him behind the ears; the ferret seemed to grin and squirmed at her touch. "It's adorable," she smiled as the ferret stared up at her with its black eyes. "We need to talk."

"Sure, come in," Azura smiled and kicked the door open to give Kadian enough room to pass by her. Silently, the door shut behind them, blocking their conversation from the rest of Camelot's ears. "What is it?" She asked calmly, letting Felipe leap from her grasp and land on the bed.

Kadian sighed and combed a nervous hand through her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear. "I need your help." Her voice was shaking as she spoke.

Her eyes fell upon Kadian's concerned stare, studying the anxiety that maimed her face and thoughts. "I know that you are hiding the druid boy in your chamber," she whispered, pronouncing each syllable with care and precision; Kadian looked up with a start.

"He's injured. I fear that it is, or will become, infected. We can't bring Gaius into this; he would have our head," Kadian explained in a ramble that sounded to belong to Merlin when he babbled on and on. "I remembered that you've studied healing. I was hoping..." Kadian's voice drifted away as the wind rattled the glass window.

"You were hoping that I would put my life on the line for him? My god, Kadian, you and Merlin are terrible at staying out of magical affairs." Azura crossed her arms at her chest, shooing Felipe off her bed; he darted under the bed-skirt. Their gazes would not meet; they were eluding each other with great care. It was a long silence before Azura spoke again, filling her chamber with a delicate tone that was not received as such. "It's too risky for me. I can't get involved."

"No, you _won't_ get involved." Kadian growled as her eyes rolled with annoyance. "He's no different than you or me. He's a child, born with the gift of magic. Uther has no right to execute him for what he had no choice in."

Azura sighed and turned away from Kadian where her gaze stared out the window and at the setting yellow orb. The sky was smeared with the warm colours of autumn that faded into the darkness as the sky approached the shadowed horizon. "You are right, Kadian. I won't help you." She said mercilessly. "I am sorry."

"_Argh_," Kadian groaned and went toward the door. "I liked the old Zu better."

The door shut heavily as Kadian stormed out, her skirt billowing in an angry cloud before it vanished. Azura had some nerve to refuse aiding an injured child Kadian thought. It was hard for Kadian to hear Azura refuse to help anyone; she always thought Azura believed everyone to be equal, but no. If it were weeks before, Azura would have eagerly helped, despite the consequences and dangers. And now, it seemed like Azura was like Uther and Arthur, sticking to laws when it came to magic and its affairs; Azura might as well turn herself in.

_It doesn't make any sense_, Kadian thought as she entered her chamber, locking the door once it was firmly shut.

The druid boy was lying unconscious behind the curtain with sweat beading at his brow. He had stirred slightly in his slumber; the blankets were ruffled and tossed about. Kadian sat beside him and brushed his chocolate hair from his face. "I'm sorry," she chimed, letting her hand caress his cheek, "she won't help you."

-x-

Dawn came and went quickly after Merlin left Kadian to care for the boy. He tended to his work that Arthur left him and, once he was satisfied with what he accomplished, he returned to her chamber. Kadian pulled him inside quickly the moment after his hand rasped against the door. They went over and drew back the curtain where the boy slept restlessly beneath a mountain of blankets. "He's gotten worse," she said softly, frowning at the sweat that streamed down the sides of his face. "His brow is on fire. I think the wound is infected."

"Have you talked to Azura?" Merlin asked lowly, leaning down to wipe the boy's sweat away.

"Yeah, I did. She isn't willing to get involved," Kadian sighed as she reached for a cloth and knelt beside the druid.

"Has he said anything?" Merlin wondered, holding the boy's hair back as Kadian dried his brow. It was undeniable that the wound had grown infected. The boy's face was colourless leaving his eyes sunken in their sockets, but what gave the infection away was the pungent scent the wound released when Merlin went to redress it. There was puss forming inside the inflamed gash, yellow and thick, and Merlin dabbed it with water. He paused as the boy flinched.

Kadian's head shook as she spared him a glance. "Nothing. I've tried to get his name, but he falls under so quickly..." she sighed softly, caressing the boy's cheek with the cloth. He was so pale; it hurt to see him in such a condition.

Merlin leaned back against the wall after he finished dressing the wound; he studied the way Kadian's eyes sparkled as the gazed upon the boy's face, full of protection and even love. "You know, you're taking a big risk, helping him," he stated suddenly, causing her to flinch.

"I know," she replied, shifting her gaze onto him as she sat back on her heels. Resting her hands on her hand, she sighed. "I won't see an innocent child executed, it's wrong."

"Uther thinks he's magic and therefore he's guilty," Merlin sighed, meeting her worried gaze; they battled every day to wake up the next morning without the stake beckoning for them. "He's wrong, you know that, pretty much everyone with half a brain knows it."

Slowly, Kadian rose to her feet and walked over to him, where he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You speak the truth, Merlin, because you see magic the way it _should_ be used. My father, though I regret to say, only thinks that magic is a choice someone can make," Kadian said softly, kissing his cheek.

There was a long pause, they could hear the chamber door creak open, but neither of them moved to see who was there. Merlin's fingers combed through the back of Kadian's hair as he embraced her. The boy took a shrill breath, shaking slightly, and returned to his unconscious state.

"What if magic isn't something you choose? What if it chooses you?" a voice said from behind, tainted with sorrow and fear. "I-I thought that the two of you would shelter him."

They turned, stepping in front of the curtain and shielding the boy from view. Their rapid hearts relaxed as they set their sights on Morgana, who stood in the open door way with her hands folded behind her back. Her green eyes said the same thing that Kadian's had when she gazed upon the druid: fear for the boy. "I did not mean to startle you," Morgana said softly as she shut the door behind her royal blue skirt. "I thought now would have been a better time than most to help."

Kadian smiled. "Of course," she nodded and moved out of Morgana's sight. Morgana's eyes fell onto the boy instantly and she slowly approached him. "He's injured and has lost a lot of blood. I don't know what we should do with him."

"We should bring him back to his people, where he belongs." Her green eyes scanned the boy, eyeing the triple spiral tattoo on his chest and the loose white bandage on his arm; it was already stained with blood, even with the fresh change. "I'll stay with him, until you complete your rounds. If he gets any worse, I'll send for you."

It sounded more of a demand and Kadian nodded, stepping toward the door. She extended her hand toward Merlin and he took it, squeezing it gently as they vanished into the corridor. His gaze lingered on Morgana and the boy until his sight was impaired; there was something about the sight that made his insides churn uneasily.

If they were to successfully get the boy out of Camelot, they needed to remove any suspicions from them by increasing their presence around the palace and city and be sure to stray from any sort of conversation about the boy. Once the boy was well enough to travel, they would escort him back to the Druids: his home.

-x-

The corridors were strangely empty as Kadian strolled down the corridor with her hand clasped in Merlin's. Arthur's chamber waited scrubbing for the utmost time since Merlin was graciously awarded his manservant position. Ever since Azura had returned from her cursed insanity, Arthur wanted above all else was for his chamber to be spotless and rat-free. Merlin's job would be much simpler it Arthur was not such a slob.

Pushing open the large door to Arthur's chamber, Merlin peered inside the cluttered room to see that no one was present. Even with the floor messier than a hog pen, Kadian lead Merlin inside. They sighed heavily, seeing the mountains of tunics that were scattered to and fro and the tower of dirty plates that were on the table; flies buzzed harmoniously above the table and Kadian scoffed.

"How can someone live in such filth?" Kadian grumbled as she stepped over a pile of clothing; no wonder Merlin had the faint scent of dirty laundry in the evening. "He does this on purpose, doesn't he?"

"Probably," Merlin grunted and bent down to lift the prince's clothes into his arms. Swaying to keep everything in his arms, he successfully placed the tunics and trousers onto a bigger pile he would have washed by the morning; thank heavens he had magic to aid in his multitasking. "You don't have to stay with me. I know you've got work to do."

"Nonsense," Kadian laughed; she was straightening the sheets on Arthur's bed. They were recently cleaned so it spared Merlin some time. Happy with her accomplishment, she ironed out the ruffles on the silk bedcover and sat down. "There hasn't been a change in the town's circulation in years; it can wait. Besides, Merlin, I would not get to see you 'til later today."

"I kinda like the suspense," Merlin grinned and nearly tripped over an overturned chair.

Unable to control her laughter, she threw one of Arthur's pillows at Merlin and hit him square in the face. She smiled darkly as he shook the impact off; her grin made him shiver. Merlin dropped the clothing in his hands and jumped in front of Kadian, pulling her to him and crushing his lips onto hers. She fell back as his arm wrapped around her waist and she pulled him with her as she collapsed onto Arthur's bed.

They did not know how much time had passed, but Kadian's fingers stopped dead in the mess of Merlin's shaggy hair she created. A voice, low and slightly amused, filled the chamber with sarcasm as the door creaked on its hinges.

"You know, I'd tell you to get a room, but it seems like you've taken mine," Arthur grumbled from the doorway with his arms crossed at his chest. To their luck, he did not look as annoyed as his voice was, but still, his eyebrow was raised with his typical, disbelieving expression.

Merlin was on his feet within a second, the fastest Arthur had seen since Merlin turned tail and ran from a battle. "Er... sorry?" he mumbled, folding his hands uneasily behind his back; his palms were sweating like mad and he tried to hide them as he wiped them on the back of his trousers.

"Well, don't stop of my part, just as long as this room is spotless by this evening," Arthur shrugged, avoiding the dark glare from his sister who was rising to her feet and straightening her hair hastily. "Just came by for a thing or two. I swear, you make this place look worse than it had this morning, Merlin."

Shaking his head, Arthur walked through the mob of his belongings on the floor like he knew the proper path to avoid stepping on anything. He pulled open the drawer of his night table and retrieved a small coin purse; he counted the shillings inside quickly and tied the bag to his belt.

With one last aggravated glance at his sister and servant, Arthur exited his chamber swiftly; he tried not to think of what they would do to his chamber by the time sunset crawled onto the sky.

-x-

Later that day, once Kadian had returned to her chamber to care for the druid boy, Morgana joined Uther for an early dinner. She had dressed in a luxurious purple gown with translucent blue sleeves; she was accustomed to receiving an invitation to join the King for a meal. Guilt swam through her veins as she watched the king who sat on the opposite end of the table; he might as well have been across the kingdom's border for there was such a gap between them. Between them, in the delectable no-man's land, sat a nicely cooked bird and a bowl of vibrant fruit. Morgana stared down at her nearly cleared plate, she had little appetite.

"You seem troubled, Morgana. Is something wrong?" Uther asked concerned for her noticed her subtle glances between him and her barren plate. He set down the bone he held and wiped his chin clean with his napkin.

"No, my lord," Morgana replied quickly, looking up with a start. She smiled weakly, but convincingly nonetheless. "I'm sorry that I'm not better company."

"I'm only concerned for your welfare, that's all," Uther stated with a gentle smile. He lifted his wine goblet to his lips and took a small sip, grinning with pleasure as the liquid trickled down his throat.

"Thank you, my lord," Morgana smiled with a curt nod. Her hands were folded tightly on her lap and grew tighter as she fought to keep an unwavering expression. "All is well."

Uther smiled, happy to hear that his ward was fine, and took a long swig of his wine. He reached forward and plucked a plump grape off the vine displayed on the plate before him. Plopping the round fruit into his mouth, he turned his attention toward the oak doors as the stationed guards pushed them inward.

Prince Arthur walked into the chamber swiftly, boots silent as mice against the floor. He met his father's concerned and intrigued gaze as he stopped before the chair to the King's left, resting his arms on the top.

"How goes the hunt for the druid boy?" Uther wondered as he set his wine goblet onto the table; the liquid swirled violently until it settled with gentle ripples lapping against the silver cup.

"We've conducted an intensive search. The boy is nowhere to be found," Arthur sighed regrettably, leaning onto his arms to shift his weight off his aching feet. He glanced at Morgana who tilted her head to the side, interested.

"You mean you've failed to find him," Uther stated with a dark chuckle and leaned back in his chair. Resting his elbow on the chair's wide arm, the King moved his stare onto Morgana who quickly glanced away; he smiled faintly.

"Perhaps he has already left the city," Arthur suggested, shrugging. He flexed his fingers, cracking his knuckles, and shifted restlessly in his stance.

Uther lifted the goblet to his lips, took a sip of the remaining wine, and placed the goblet firmly on the table. "You're telling me that an injured child was able to avoid the guard and escape the city? Nonsense," Uther dismissed with a shake of his head.; only he could sire a son who was inept to complete a simple task, he thought. "Someone's hiding him. I want him found."

"He's just a boy, what harm could he do?" Arthur asked, rolling his eyes. Hearing his father insult his subtly made his patience wane.

"He's a druid and that makes him dangerous," Uther answered harshly, his voice low with annoyance and hatred toward the use of the word _druid_. .

"The druids would see your father's kingdom destroyed," Morgana added from her solitary place at the opposite end at the table; she spoke sweetly and utterly out-of-place.

Arthur shot her a dark glare and snarled, "I had know idea you were such an authority on druids."

"Morgana's right," Uther grumbled as he sipped his wine again; he ignored his son's temper toward Morgana, seeing it as a sign of avoidance of the issue at hand, and stated, "Double your efforts."

"Yes, father," Arthur mumbled, and pushed off the chair. Dipping his head slightly, he stalked toward the door with a low sigh.

"Don't worry, Arthur," Morgana said softly as he approached her, slowly trudging toward the door. There was a smirk curving her crimson lips as she stated teasing, "I'm sure Azura would forgive you, just this once."

Arthur stopped dead in his trek and glared at her from an angle, not wanting to see the humorous glint in her chaste eyes. "Oh, _shut up_," he sneered and went to continue onward, but stopped when he heard his father speak from behind..

Uther glanced up from the wine spiralling in his glass. "So, she's speaking to you I have it?" he asked and cocked an eyebrow.

The sudden rage that built up inside the prince at Morgana's comment fluttered away as he became flustered, cheeks burning red even with his attempts to hide the heat. "Yes," he replied as he spun to face his father.. "I had promised to take her to the river this evening to light a candle in memory of her people."

"Ah," Uther acknowledged, nodding his head understandingly as he thought. Then, a thin grin stretched his lips as he went to speak. "Triple the efforts until you return, and when you do, have Azura accompany you. After all, it was she who found that poultice. Don't stop searching until your find him."

"Yes, father," Arthur replied and bowed gratefully before exiting the chamber. Half the time he did not know whether his father was trying to punish him or help him in his love life, either way, he had to do as he was told.

-x-

Felipe was standing to her right, watching as she wrote frantically on a blank page of her journal. Many of the pages were filled and it was nearly time for her to dig out another from her the depths of her trunk. Azura looked up from her journal. There was a knock on her door and she knew it was Arthur; she smiled, right on time. She closed her journal and placed her white-feathered quill back into the ink well.

Grabbing her silver cloak and a small bag that she slung over her shoulder, she opened the door and kissing Arthur on the lips when she saw him. He was stunned at how forward she was, kissing him instantly, and was too flustered to speak.

"Thank you, again," she said softly, voice high and sweet, and waved goodbye to Felipe as she pulled the door shut. It took a minute, but she smiled when Arthur was able to muster the strength and sanity to speak.

"You don't have to thank me," Arthur smiled with flustered cheeks. He slowly lifted her cloak until it rested nicely on her shoulders. Then, as he reached over her shoulders and fastened the cloak with her brooch, he said, "However, I'll need your help after... with the druid boy search, if you would be so kind."

"Of course. You couldn't spot magic if it stood right in front of you," she grinned, brushing the back of her hand across his cheek as a tease. There was a subtle spark in his eyes that intrigued Azura slightly; maybe she needed to choose her words better.

Arthur sighed through a smile while he stretched his arm across her back and placed his hand on her hip. "Shall we?" he smiled, pulling her close to him as they started down the corridor, passed Kadian's chamber where Azura's eyes trailed across for longer than expected, but Arthur paid no notice. If he had the sight that she had, he would have seen the magic aura that radiated from the room. Luckily for Kadian, he did not share her magical abilities.

-x-

A horse waited for them in the palace courtyard, saddled and ready to venture out and into the wood surrounding Camelot. Arthur mounted the horse first, taking hold of the reins to hold the horse back from speeding off. He held his arm out for Azura to take and his eyes met hers, the grateful, brilliant blue that they were. Her smooth fingers curled around his hand and he pulled her onto the saddle behind him.

Her chest was pressed against his back as her arms embraced his waist. Arthur flicked the reins and the horse trotted off, toward the gates. He could feel her short, warm breaths through his jacket, and he could tell that there was some, small part of her that wished to remain in Camelot and not go through with this. No matter how much she tried to hide her sadness, Arthur knew that there was a hole in her heart that would never be filled where her people and family had been. That hole was a place where his love could not reach.

The river was spilled out before them in a magnificent twilight gleam. The sun had recently set and the moon now fought for control of the darkening blanket of stars above them. Faded outlines of trees lined their way as the horse trotted through the wood. There was a slight chill on the wind as it swept across the river's calm surface, rippling the water to where the tiny waves curled over on the bank.

Azura slid her feet out of her flat shoes and stepped into the cool water, grinning slightly at the fresh, cold feeling between her toes. In her hand was a paper lantern, constructed of alice-blue parchment; there were dark, intricate designs decorating each side of the lantern.. Inside, a baby flame flickered against the wind, spreading the alice-blue colour and black designs into the twilight.

Arthur stood a few feet behind her, watching her take this step toward the final steps of grief. She bent down and placed the lantern into the slow current of the river. "You will never be forgotten and I promise that one day, I will take revenge," she whispered to the fire,. Her lips were trembling as she held back the tears that welled in her eyes.

With that, she released her attachment to the paper, one thin finger after another. It floated down stream, the blue light painting the water as it swam away, sheering from the stones that peered above the surface.

The prince stepped forward now, following her heartbroken gaze as it traced the lantern's path down the river. He took her hand in his and waited until she turned to him to pull her close and embrace her. His free hand combed slowly through her hair as the wind carried it into the air with its breath, the same breath that carried away her farewell.

-x-

"How long has he been like this?" Merlin asked concerned as he felt the druid boy's brow; it was scalding. The boy's chest rose and fell rapidly, glossed with sweat.

"Since early this morning, his wound is infected. I'm sure of it now," Kadian replied with her voice shaky. She could not bare to see the boy suffer any longer, but she kept her eyes on him, wishing that he gaze could cure him. "I know that he'll have our heads mounted before the fireplace, but we need Gaius, before it gets any worse."

"No, we can't involve Gaius, you know that," Merlin objected, wiping the sweat off his hand. "I'll starve for the next two weeks if he founds out I lied to him."

"_Merlin_," Kadian pressed, tugging on his sleeve. "We can't smuggle him out of Camelot while he's sick. We _need_ a physician; Azura won't help and Gaius, well, is all we have."

Merlin looked between Kadian and the boy and sighed defeated. She was right, if they wished to get the boy out of Camelot, the boy needed to be well and able to run if they were to get caught. "I'll treat him," he decided with a curt nod.

"Oh, I think he feels loads better already," Kadian joked, rolling her eyes. He gaze her a look and she smiled teasingly. "Do you even know how to treat an infected wound, Merlin?"

"Sadly, no, but I'm a fast learner," Merlin stated with a proud nod as he met her trouble stare; it was not the answer she was looking for..

"I'd rather use _magic_ than have you treat him," she sighed, breaking away from his sight.

Merlin shook his head. "We have even practised anything relatively close to healing," he protested, bringing his voice to a whisper.

"But, Merlin..." Kadian started.

There was a knock on the door and they both flinched as the hollow thuds filled the chamber. Kadian glanced at Merlin while she rose to her feet. She gave him an assuring nod as she drew the curtains to conceal him and the boy and walked with gentle steps to the door.

"Arthur," she groaned as she held the door open, "is the circus in town? You never bother me here."

"Oh, don't get all excited," Arthur grumbled as he pushed passed his sister and allowed Azura access to the chamber. They glanced about, sweeping their gazes across each of the idle objects on the various table tops.

"This isn't a social visit," Azura said grimly as she spun in a circle to take measure of the chamber. "We are searching for the druid boy."

"And you thought searching my chamber would help you accomplish _that_?" Kadian sneered with a weak laugh; she sent Azura a warning glare as she passed.

"Don't take it personally," Arthur stated, "we've been searching the entire castle. It'll only take a few moments." He walked around his sister and began to poke around, moving the objects on the table tops and raising dust into the air to where he began to sneeze..

Kadian ignored her brother's comment and stepped toward Azura, noticing the guards that stood outside her doorway. "I don't want the two of you messing up my _stuff_," she whispered, glancing at the curtain twice so Azura got the hint. "Please."

Azura walked passed her, into the depths of Kadian's chamber, gazing around the room.

"Perhaps you should search your own chamber," Kadian snarled at Arthur as he moved some of her belongings on the top of her bureau. "That place is such a mess, you'd never know. There must be things living in there that you don't even know the names of."

"It's hardly my fault that I have such a lazy idiot for a servant; you'd know that," Arthur replied with a faint grin as he avoided his sister's gaze. He moved away from the bureau and examined the morsels of the food that lay on the table; nothing delectable to snatch.

Kadian crossed her arms against her chest and stared, annoyed, at her brother. "If you can't even find your own servant, what makes you think you can find the druid?"

A sudden movement caught Azura eye across the floor and she glanced over at the curtain where she saw Merlin quickly close the gap he made. "Well Kadian, you may underestimate Arthur's skills, you shouldn't degrade mine," she said, turning her attention away from the curtain and walking in the opposite direction, near Kadian's bed. She checked under the bed-skirt and shrugged when she saw nothing.

"Then, allow me to help," Kadian grinned, shaking Azura's comment from her mind. She walked up behind her brother with her arms still crossed at her chest. "Merlin and the boy are behind the screen."

Arthur's head perked up at the strange words that came from Kadian's lips and he glanced over at Azura who had the same puzzled look on her face.

"I'm sure our father would love to hear how you wasted your time rifling through my things," Kadian sassed as she stood directly in front of Arthur; she knew he did not doubt Merlin was behind the screen. Their rival stares met as the tension in the room grew. "Go on."

"So you can have the satisfaction of making me look like a fool?" Arthur replied.

"You don't need any help with that, Arthur. You could be the court's jester if you put the hat on," Kadian smirked, tilting her head to the side as her sight on Arthur deepened. "Go on, take a look."

Scowling at her, Arthur glanced at the screen and grumbled, "Why don't you go back to your... whatever it is you you do all day?" Arthur sneered and sulked as he went to the door, bumping into his sister's shoulder. "Court's jester..." he mumbled.

"Bye, Arthur," she grinned letting her eyes trail after him as he stalked toward the door.

As Azura passed by Kadian, she slipped a piece of parchment into the princess' hand with a bright smile. The door shut softly behind her white skirt, which Kadian realized was brand new; the gown, though she did not pay much attention, flattered her very well (no wonder Arthur chose it). There were words scribbled on its age-yellow surface: _you are welcome and I advise that you get that wound healed soon, anyone with a sensitive nose can smell the infection._

Merlin sighed in relief as he rose onto his feet and stretched his cramping back; the boy had relaxed while Arthur and Azura were in the chamber and slept soundly underneath the blankets. "That was close."

"Too close," Kadian grumbled and tossed the parchment onto the tabletop.

-x-

The guards followed from behind as Arthur and Azura searched the palace after Kadian kicked them out. Arthur did not speak often, other than a few commands to search "that corner" or "over there". Azura was beginning to see the punishment that Uther had awarded Arthur for not finding the boy by yesterday evening. She knew that the druid boy was behind the screen like Kadian had said, along with her accomplice, Merlin. Perhaps she should have turned them in and make Arthur's job a hell of a lot easier than search the entire city for no apparent reason; however, she knew how he felt about executing a child and the way she felt about the entire thing. Like the boy, she did not choose magic; it chose her through birth.

"We've been at this for _hours_, Arthur," Azura said finally breaking the agonizing silence between them. "Why don't we take a small break? These _well_-_trained_ guards can continue searching and we could meet up with them in, I don't know... an hour, perhaps?"

Arthur stopped and turned to face her, catching her hopeful eyes square in the face. They were too alluring to refuse and he gave the three guards their orders to continue with the sweep through the palace and that in an hour, they would join them again. The guards nodded and scurried off to the next idle chamber to be sifted through. "You're just dying to give my father an excuse to kill me, aren't you?" Arthur joked, taking her hand in his and leading her down the hallway, opposite the guards.

"No, why would I do that? My feet hurt, that's all," Azura smiled.

Arthur stared down at her and chuckled slightly. "_Your_ feet hurt?" he laughed. "Then, allow me." He scooped her up into his arms and she laughed gayly.

"Loads better," she smiled, folding her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"Anything, for you," Arthur sighed, half-joking as he carried her down the hall.

The door to his chamber swung open with a gentle push of his foot and the prince carried Azura inside, lying her gently on his already made bed. She rested her head back against the pillows, feeling the tenseness in her muscles grow and then seep away without a care in the world. She could have fallen asleep and that moment, but she chose not to as Arthur sat by her feet, slipping off her flats and tossing them to the floor.

His hands were rough at first as they massaged her aching feet, but the sensation turned to pleasure as they knots constricting her muscles vanished. She pulled at the second pillow and held it tightly in her arms as she sat up slightly on her elbows.

"Are you going to rub my feet next?" Arthur asked.

"No." Azura grinned, rolling her neck.

"Why not?" Arthur replied, pathetically as if it was a stake through the heart.

"Your feet smell," Azura said, keeping as straight of a face as she could as his massaging grew rougher.

Arthur could not help but laugh. "_My_ feet smell?" he chuckled, running his fingers up the bottom of her foot.

Azura jerked slightly, her lips curving into a smile when he did it again.

"Are you ticklish?" Arthur asked his fingers dancing on the sole of her foot frantically.

"Arthur... stop... it," Azura pleaded through her gasps between her laughs. "I'll... kick... you."

"Go ahead, I'd like to see you try," Arthur smirked, watching her twist and turn, laughing. Her leg lifted up and her foot nearly collided with his face; however, his hand shot up and caught it before she could inflict another injury to his face. "Now you've done it," he grinned, pushing her foot down and sliding his fingers onto her stomach.

Azura burst out laughing, turning onto her side in means to avoid more torture. He leaned over her, trapping her between him and the bed. She gazed up at him, through thin strands of her blonde hair, as her breaths gradually steadied to normal. With a caring hand, Arthur brushed her hair from her blue eyes and slowly lifted her lips to his. He kissed her tenderly, letting her taste fill his mouth like the many times before. It was sweet and unreal, similar to his belief on the touch of magic.

"_Arthur, are you in there?_" A stern voice questioned from behind the sealed door.

The prince pulled away and rose to his feet quietly. He recognized his father's voice. "I'm dead," he mouthed to Azura, looking between her and the door.

"Get under the bed," Azura whispered, replacing the pillow she held captive against the head board and sitting up with her feet cross.

"What?" he whispered back.

"Trust me," she hissed softly as the doorknob turned. Arthur took a deep breath and scrambled under his bed. It was a miracle that he was able to fit; his nose just skimmed the frame.

Arthur could hear the door squeak open, followed by the ominous sound of his father's footsteps. Uther's boots stopped at the edge of the bed, inches away from Arthur's hand.

"It's only me, sire," Azura said with a smile, looking up at the king with innocent eyes. "My feet were getting sore so I decided to take a break. We were close by so I came in here instead of my own chamber. I hope that's not a problem, my lord."

"No, of course not," Uther sighed, falling for the tiny white lie that the gleam of her bright eyes masked so brilliantly. "In that case... may I have a word?"

"Of course, my lord," Azura nodded, sitting up all the way and bending her legs back to give the king room to sit beside her.

Uther sat, crossing one leg over the other. "I heard that it has been months since... the incident in which you came to live with us, here in Camelot," he said, his voice calm. "How have you been handling this bothersome news?"

"Better than I should, my lord," Azura sighed, running a hand through her hair, and paused, collecting her thoughts to find a way to change the subject. "I know that several weeks passed, I had acted out of line, and I ask your forgiveness. My actions were unforgivable... and my mind was far from calm. Please, sire, forgive me."

Uther stiffened at her sudden change of subject; it had occurred to him that it was a sensitive one and let it slide by. "I forgive you," he replied, holding out his arms and embracing her as she leaned forward, about to cry.

_Oh, don't cry..._ Arthur thought, fighting the urge to crawl out from under his bed which he figured would be very difficult since he could barely move his arm out of reach of Uther's boot.

After a few moments of shedding tears, Azura sat straight, wiping her face rid of the tiny droplets, and gaze up at Uther. "Thank you, for everything," she smiled, weakly.

"It is not necessary for you to thank me," Uther smiled, rising to his feet and missing Arthur's fingers by a mere inch. "Get some rest. With luck, we will find this druid and Camelot can be at peace once again." The King exited the chamber silently, pulling the door shut with a shrill _creeeaak_.

Azura stared after the King; she wondered what he really wished to talk to her about Luthrembel. Knowing Uther, he was probably just after the deed to the land which would double the size of his kingdom in a flash. "You can come out now," Azura said, stretching her arms into the air like she just woke up.

"I can't..." Arthur groaned from underneath. "I'm stuck."

"Sucks to be you," Azura grinned hoping to her feet. She began to jump on the bed before landing on the ground soundlessly. "How do you expect _me_ to get you out? Magic?"

"Funny," he sighed reaching toward her with his semi-free arm. "Pull."

"No, I think I'll just leave you there," Azura nodded taking a step away from the bed and slipping her feet into her shoes.

"Azura, don't you dare!" Arthur snarled.

All she did was laugh as her fingers curled around his wrist like the coils of a snake. It took a few tries, but she managed to pull him out and collapse on the floor when she did. The prince stood up and swept the dust and dirt of his trousers and lifted Azura back onto her feet, pulling her into a deep kiss.

-x-

The sun began to set for a third time since the little druid and his father stumbled into the clutches of Uther Pendragon and his hate of magic. Kadian jumped when the door swung open and Merlin came in with the supplies he would, hopefully, need to cure the child of his infected wound. "Where have you been, Merlin?" Kadian hissed, leading him over to where the druid slept uneasily.

"Sorry, once Gaius gets started on anatomy there's no stopping him," Merlin said, opening the white sack he had smuggled some of the physician's supplies out in. He pulled out several phials as Kadian gazed at the boy with the same, worried look she always did. She watched as Merlin mixed the different ingredients in a small bowl until they were a thick paste.

He knelt down beside the wounded boy and began to apply the medicine onto the puss-filled wound on his arm. _Thank you, Emrys..._ a voice whispered in his mind as he spread the paste evenly around the cut.

"I'll get you some more water," Kadian said, relieved when the boy's eyes fluttered open. She turned and left the chamber, making sure the door was shut before proceeding.

_Emrys? Why do you call me that?_ Merlin thought as Kadian departed from her chamber.

The druid set his green eyes upon Merlin's concerned face. _Among my person, that is your name,_ he replied.

_You know who I am?_ Merlin asked, startled. He placed the bowl down at his side. _How?_

The small amount of energy he had drifted away and the druid's eyes began to steadily close, hiding the green orbs. "Speak to me," Merlin said aloud as the child's eyelids covered his tired green eyes.

"Did he speak to you through telepathy again?" Kadian sighed, handing Merlin the decanter of water that she had collected.

"Yeah," Merlin nodded, pouring water into the bowl at his side. "He won't tell me why he calls me Emrys. Has he spoken to you?"

"No," Kadian sighed, wiping away the sweat on the boy's face with a cloth. "Dragon would have answers, wouldn't he?"

"Possibly," Merlin nodded, adding one more layer of paste onto the boy's wound. "That should do it. And I stress, should."

"You're doing your best," Kadian smiled, kissing his cheek. "Go, speak to Great Dragon, I'll stay with him."

Merlin kissed her lips gently as he rose to his feet and bid farewell for the evening.

-x-

He proceeded down the dimly lit corridors of the palace, avoiding the search parties that looked for the druid boy, whom he had just aided. There was hope in his mind that his face did not scream guilt into the air as he slipped passed. He retrieved a blazing torch from the wall as he entered the dungeons. His footsteps were soft against the stone floor, only a faint ring echoed through the hall.

There were guards rifling through a cell as he passed by, ever so silently. Merlin quickly descended down the flight of stairs, leading into the lowest level of the palace: the place where Uther had chained up the last dragon in all of Albion. The torchlight danced along the walls as the young warlock walked through the cave to the open cavern.

"Hello?" he called into the seemingly empty cavern. Merlin glanced around, waving the torch before his eyes to shed light onto the pasty, grey stones.

A roar bellowed through the cavern from the top, causing Merlin to flinch as the sound reached his ears. Great Dragon clawed a large, jagged stone that hung over head. His teeth glinting off the firelight as he roared.

"Do you have to do that? You scared the life out of me," Merlin said, shaking his head.

The dragon leapt off the stone and glided over to the pile of rocks that sat idle before the ledge that Merlin stood on. "The young warlock. You are, no doubt, here about the druid boy," the dragon spoke in a stern, wise voice.

"How do you know?" Merlin asked, beaming at the golden-scaled face.

"I, like you, hear him speak," Great Dragon explained, folding his massive wings against his thin flank.

"He called me... _Emrys_," Merlin stated, puzzled as he struggled to find his own answer why.

"Because, that is your name," the dragon replied with a courteous nod.

"I'm pretty sure my name is Merlin, always has been," Merlin said, nodding his head to assure himself that he was not mad.

"Oh, you have many names," Great Dragon explained, blinking as he spoke; his jewel stare reflected Merlin's puzzled expression.

"How... how does the boy know who I am?" Merlin wondered. "I've never met any druids."

"There is much written about you that you have yet to read. You should not protect this boy."

"Why? He's magic, just like me, just like Kadian."

"You and the boy are as different as day and night, the fair princess as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Heed my words, Merlin," Great Dragon urged, unfolding his golden wings, and leapt into the air. With a massive thrust of his wings, he soared into the higher parts of the cavern, ignoring Merlin's question for another explanation.

-x-

"Whatever you did yesterday hasn't worked," Morgana said as she knelt beside the druid boy. She pressed a cloth against his forehead. His fever was raging like a provoked flame. Kadian was out, completing her rounds to keep her father off her tail as the search for the boy continued. "We need Gaius before it gets any worse. Don't give me that look, Merlin! He needs treatment, or he will die."

Merlin sighed, titling his head from side to side as he debated his options. Finally, he succumbed to Morgana's, and most likely Kadian's, wishes, and returned to the physician's chamber.

-x-

Gaius was there, collecting his supplies to start his rounds. He rambled on about the extra security that Uther had stationed around the castle, which inflicted delays in his rounds. As he went to walk out of his chamber, Merlin spoke, "Kadian's hiding the boy in her chamber."

The court physician wiped around with a look of pure suspicion and disappointment on his face. "And by you know this, I can assume that you are helping her," he sighed, stalking toward his nephew.

"And Morgana..." Merlin admitted, enduring the full death stare the physician's eyes set on him.

"You promised me that neither of you would get involved," Gaius stated, placing his supplies back on his bench.

"I know, I'm sorry," Merlin sighed, dropping his gaze from Gaius. "I had no choice." He rose to his feet and approached his uncle.

"Every guard in Camelot is searching for this boy and you're harbouring him, right under their noses," Gaius said, shaking his head in complete disappointment. "Can't you see how dangerous that is? What were you thinking, Merlin?"

"I'm supposed to hand him over to the guards?" Merlin stated protectively.

"You think you can help this boy?" Gaius interrogated. "And if you're caught, who's going to save the both of you?"

"Are you saying it's wrong to harbour a young magician?" Merlin replied, setting his own stare on Gaius now.

A silence broke out between them and Merlin walked to stand on the opposite of the bench, gazing down at the many phials and parchment that was scattered across it. Gaius followed his steps and continued to look at him. "The difference is, Merlin, that your magic is still secret," he said. "And it is a wonder how, considering how careless you are, and Kadian too."

"The boy's hurt. He's really sick," Merlin stated, hearing the dragon's words in the back of his mind for the previous night. "I've tried to treat him, but it's done no good." He set his concerned blue eyes on Gaius. "We need your help."

"So, now you want me to risk my neck too?" Gaius said softly with a heavy sigh that rippled his wrinkled cheeks.

"That's the same thing Azura said," Merlin noted, lifting his stare.

"Then at least one of the four of you has a brain," Gaius replied with an eye roll. "I wish the boy no harm, but it's too dangerous."

"If you don't, you might as well hand him over to the guards because he's going to die," Merlin said, locking gazed with Gaius again. "You didn't turn your back on any of us, don't turn your back on him."

-x-

Gaius examined the small druid boy, lifting up an eyelid to see the pupil's reaction to the light. His fever was high, that was obvious to anyone, even without a brain. "I will treat the boy," he said, turning to Merlin and Morgana who were to his right, watching as he did his work.

Kadian came into her chamber, her rounds were complete. "Gaius?" she asked, startled to see the physician kneeling on his chamber floor. "Thank you," she smiled, approaching them and gazing over at the boy.

The physician looked up at her with the same disappointed stare that he had given Merlin back in his chamber. "Once he is well, you must get him out of Camelot," he said. "I will not be tied to anyone helping him." He turned back to the boy and lifted off the bandages that Kadian had gently wrapped around the infected wound. An aggravated sigh escaped the physician's lips as he turned back to the three. "Well, we know one thing for certain."

"What's that?" Kadian asked.

"Merlin's no physician," Gaius informed and returned to caring for the wounded child. In the back of his mind, he wondered why they all decided to aid this child, even with the risk of loosing their heads. He noticed the way Morgana and Kadian stared at the boy with a maternal bliss and worry. It was possible that Merlin felt the same way toward the boy, more of a paternal emotion, but Gaius figured that each felt that Uther's punishment for such a young boy was harsh, cruel, and utterly wrong.

-x-

The three left Gaius to his work, at the physician's own request, and entered the courtyard, watching as the guards shifted through each wagon that came to dropped of supplies to the castle. They stood by a shady alcove, watching curiously at the way the guards inspected each citizen. "There's another way out," Merlin stated, turning away from the guards. "There's a secret passage in the armoury, leads to the lower tower. I'll take the boy out through there."

"No, it's too dangerous, I'll do it," Kadian said, turning her gaze on Merlin.

"I'm good with secret doors and things..." Merlin protested.

"If you're caught, you're the one executed. I'll do it," Kadian pressed. "He's my responsibility, I'll smuggling him out of the castle."

"Neither of you two will," Morgana snapped, looking between the two. "The boy is just as much my responsibility as yours. I'll do it. Ah, end of discussion."

Merlin and Kadian set their blue eyes on Morgana; it was equally as risky for her as them. Kadian tilted her head slightly. "We'll need the key, Merlin, do you know who has it?" she asked.

The warlock hesitated. "Arthur," he stated, shifting his sight back onto the guards who were rifling through a cart full of twigs and sticks for the palace fires.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Kadian sighed. "It'd be _soo_ much easier if Zu was on our side..."

Morgana chuckled; they knew Azura could think of thousands of ways to take one of Arthur's keys. "Good luck, Merlin."

-x-

That evening, Merlin stood in Arthur's chamber, watching as the prince and Azura ate their supper unknowing of his plan to steal the keys that dangled on Arthur's belt. They were laughing and discussing things that went right over Merlin's head, he was concentrating too hard on finding a way to snag the keys without Azura seeing, which was highly unlikely. "And what did you say after that?" Arthur asked, leaning in close enough that their lips were barely parted.

"_Never_," Azura grinned, treating him to a soft kiss.

He laughing a pulled her face to his, remaining deaf to the soft enchantment that escaped Merlin's moving lips. Cautiously, the keys on Arthur's belt began to rise of their ring, lifting into the air over his head; however, they were not as silent as the warlock would have hoped. Arthur sat back, hearing a soft clash of metal and Azura's eyes glanced over at Merlin with a glare that he saw only once before, when she almost killed him with an arrow.

"Did you hear that?" Arthur asked aloud.

"What?" Merlin replied while Azura shook her head.

"There was a sound," he stated, glancing about his chamber.

"Was there?" Merlin asked, moving the keys to avert Arthur's eyes.

Arthur rose to his feet, hearing the clanging again. "What is that?" he asked, looking around more frantic.

"Maybe you're hearing things," Azura smiled, leaning back in her seat.

Arthur eyes swept across her concerned stare as he turned to Merlin. "Can't you hear that?"

"I don't hear anything," Merlin shrugged.

"Are you deaf?" Arthur scowled. "It's like a... a _jangling_ sound." His hand fluttered in the air as he described the sound.

"Like bells, perhaps?" Azura asked, tilting her head to the side and resting it in her palm. She gazed up at him, batting her eyelashes playfully.

"No. More like, er..." Arthur struggled and glanced upward.

Azura jumped to her feet. "There," she said, pointing in the direction opposite that Arthur was stalking. "I thought I saw something. I wasn't paying attention before, but I swore I _heard it_ this time."

Arthur crossed his chamber, following her finger in hopes of calming his rattled mind. Azura walked around the table and caught the keys in her hand, shielding them behind her back as Arthur turned at the soft sound. Aggravated, Arthur walked passed Azura and pushed Merlin out of his way as he walked out, into the hallway to test his ears on different, more realistic sounds.

Azura turned quickly to Merlin, her eyes in a thin glare. "You just ruined my evening," she hissed, placing the keys in his hand. "Now, scram before I push you out a window."

"I... er... I..." Merlin stuttered, frozen where she cornered him.

"Sod off," she hissed, pushing him toward the door. "I mean it, Merlin."

Shivering at her harsh tone, Merlin ran from the chamber not wanting to get strangled to death.

-x-

The warlock walked through the castle, avoiding the positioned guards at each of the lower corridors; he was getting very crafty when it came to sneaking around the palace, he could do it blindfolded soon. Torches painted the halls with light, illuminating the path that was most clear to Morgana's, where she and Kadian were preparing the young druid for the journey home. His hand rasped against the door. "It's Merlin," he said with his face close to the door and his eye on the far corner of the hallway.

Kadian pulled the door back and pulled Merlin inside. "Did you get them?" she asked, kissing his cheek softly as she shut the door behind him.

"Yeah, but let's not cross Azura for a little while..." he said, running a hand down her back as they walked over to Morgana and Guinevere, who was tying a scarlet cloak around Morgana's neck. The druid sat by Morgana's feet, watching her through the mirror as she prepared to take him out of Camelot at her own risk. His wound had healed quickly, thanks to Gaius who had Kadian enhance the second draft with magic before it was administered to the boy.

Kadian left Merlin's comforting side and knelt beside the druid. "We're going to get you home, alright?" she smiled.

He looked up at her with dazzling, regenerated green eyes and nodded.

Morgana turned to Guinevere, saying that she was sorry for dragging her into this with even asking her opinion. Gwen knew what it was like to face the chopping block; it was not a fate that she would ever wish on any soul. Now, the king's ward turned to Merlin and Kadian, feeling the suspicion they had for letting her go through with this. However, Morgana knew that it had to be her since Kadian was an enchantress and Kadian would lock herself away if she watched Merlin be executed for aiding the boy.

"We will meet you at Gwen's house," Kadian said and embraced Morgana as if she was riding out to her death, which she may just be doing. "No one should be in the corridors and the guards are all searching by the lower town. Be safe."

"I will be fine," Morgana assured her, wrapping her arms around Kadian's back. There was a sisterly bond between them that had strengthened even more since the druid boy came to be in their responsibility. She released the princess and retrieved the small, green cloak that hung on the wall.

The druid rose to his feet as she draped the cloak over his shoulders and securing it tightly around his neck. He reached back and curtained his face with the shadows cast by the sage fabric. Morgana's hand folded around his as Guinevere pulled open the door, examining the clarity of the adjacent hallway.

Morgana stepped out, into the torch-lit corridor, pulling the red hood over her dark hair. With one last look at her friends and maidservant, she started down the hall with the boy beside her.

Kadian watched them go, longing for the child to be able to stay in Camelot with her. _Good-bye, Cara-Emrys_, a voice whispered in her mind, causing her eyes to widen. The boy and Morgana had turned the corner before she could give the druid a reply; his voice was so angelic, soft and soothing.

Merlin came up beside her and asked in a whisper if she had heard the boy too. He received a small nod as Guinevere walked by. The maidservant beckoned for them to follow, they had to prepare some food for Morgana and the boy when they reached her home in the town.

-x-

She peered around the corner; the adjacent hall was clear. She squeezed the druid's hand tightly and pulled him along. They had made it this far unseen; all they had to do was hope that their luck stayed with them. Inside their chests, their hearts beat rapidly and jumped at each sudden creak and moan they caused the floor beneath them. She pushed the boy in front of her as they scaled down a flight of stairs, hidden in the shadows.

The Armoury was not much further; maybe several yards across patrolled ground. Morgana stepped in front of the druid again, pulling him along with her, unaware of the silent maid tilting her head curiously as she glimpsed the red and green cloaks.

-x-

Azura straddled Arthur, her lips moving with Arthur's as he pulled her down onto him. His fingers danced up her silk gown, skimmed across her neck, and pulled the pins that held her hair; it tumbled onto her shoulders like a series of golden waves. She dug her fingers into his mane and messed it to the point where the strands stood erect. His warm hands touched her cool skin, sending shivers up and down her spine. Their kiss deepened as their tongues greeted each other in a fatedly.

There was a knock on the door and Azura's forehead fell against his shoulder while his fell back as far as it could on the pillow. "Please tell me we're hearing things again," she said through short breaths.

The same hand rasped against the door again and Arthur lifted Azura off him, placing her softly on the bed as he rose to his feet. Annoyed, he made his way toward the door, straightening his hair as much as he could before he pulled the open. "What is it?" he asked in haste.

"I am sorry to disturb you, sire," a guard said, dipping his head respectively. "A maid spotted two people hurrying towards the Armoury. One fit the description of the druid boy."

Arthur turned and disappeared into the depths of his chamber, grabbing his belt that was sprawled on the table and his red jacket. He looked over at Azura who was sighing as she reached down for her flats, which had been kicked underneath the bed. "I don't have my cloak," she said, sliding off the bed as she saw her shoes went further than she expected.

Once successfully retrieving her shoes, she slipped her feet in and stood up straight, turning toward Arthur with a smile. Her hands glided through her wavy hair and pulled it back up with the pins she found on Arthur's bed. The prince crossed the room and slid her arms through the sleeves of his red jacket, letting if rest loosely on her shoulders. "Come on," he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"Let's catch us a druid," she said and followed him from the chamber, ignoring the questioning stares of the guards that waited there.

The party headed for the Armoury and to the secret passage that was behind the farthest shield along the right wall. Arthur pulled the yellow and red shield aside, revealing the small passage it concealed. He reached down for his keys as Azura examined the lock. "Arthur, this lock wasn't forcibly opened," she informed and turned to him.

His blue eyes were slowly raised from the key loop on his belt and his head shook. "Sound the warning bell," he commanded the guards: the key to the passage was not there.

-x-

Kadian gazed up. The warning bell towering in the tower blared through Camelot, alerting everyone that was still awake or slumbering in his or her comfy beds. "Morgana," she said to Merlin and Guinevere who were busy preparing three days' worth of meals. The princess ran to the door, peering through the little peep-hole, hoping to see her friend and the boy heading their way. There was not a single person in the street, only shadows that stretched across each house wall.

Then, she saw them; Morgana in the lead, pulling the druid behind her. Kadian pulled open the door and shut it once the tail of the emerald cloak had cleared the archway. "I'm taking him from here," she stated, prying the druid's hand from Morgana's protective grasp as she reached for the cloak dangling over the edge of a chair. She pulled it on and tied it with one hand, not caring for the protests that erupted from Merlin and Morgana's mouths. "I don't care what either of you think," she snarled, reaching for the food that Gwen and Merlin had prepared, "I'm going. I would never forgive myself if I let anything happen to you, Morgana. And besides, I have a second plan if things turn out for the worst."

Averting Merlin's fretful eyes, she dragged the druid with her, out of Guinevere's house, leaving the prepared food on the table. _Good-bye, Emrys,_ the boy said as he passed by the distraught Merlin.

The streets were screeching with the warning bell like the cries of a Siren. Kadian knew that it would only be minutes before Arthur and Azura were on her trail, and this time, Azura would not cover for her. Horses whinnied from the stables against the howling bell and Kadian hugged the boy to her as he flinch. Pulling him along, she raced down the street but at the far end, emerging from the ominous shadows, was an approaching torchlight. It may have been far enough away to conceal her identity, but it did not shield her brother's face and Azura's bright eyes that said for her to run, run faster than she ever had.

_This way_, she thought, more to the child than to herself. She led the boy into a storehouse that was nearby and to their right. The boy followed at her heels, his breath rapid as they ran to kneel behind an overturned chair, cloaked with a ragged black sheet. Kadian peered through the shadows casted by her navy blue cloak, seeing firelight lick the walls and rusted objects that were scattered around.

She looked away, toward the second door leading from the storehouse. In a quick flash, her eyes glowed silver and pushed open the door, revealing an exit to them. The druid stared at her in awe as she glanced over at her brother as he gave orders for the guards to fan out. Azura had left his side and disappeared from view, no doubt in means to give Kadian more time to escape.

Hesitantly, Kadian rose to her feet, pulling the druid to his and dashed for the door, but it was too late. Two guards stalked from within the shadows to the door's right, pointing their pikes forward once they saw their faint silhouettes in the dim firelight. Kadian walked backwards, pulling the boy closer to her as she did.

A point of a sword dug into her back, sharp and partially painful between her shoulder blades. "Halt. Or I'll run you through," Arthur snarled as Azura approached his side. "Show yourself."

Kadian took a step back and steadily turned to face her brother. Her blonde hair fell before the edges of the navy cloak and soon her eyes fell upon his startled face, filled with fright. She was lost for words, shaking her head from side to side hoping to rattle some sounds. "Let him go, please," she pleaded.

Arthur gazed down, into the boy's terrified greens eyes that stared back up at him and the torch he held in his grasp. His eyes moved away as he glanced over at the guards that watched, knowing that he could not succumb to her wishes because she was aiding a druid, a crime of treason against the King. "Restrain them," he ordered, hiding the sorrowed guilt in his voice.

"No!" Kadian shrieked as she pulled the boy toward her as she heard him scream through his telepathy. Then, the boy pulled away from her grasp and ran forward like he was going to escape; but instead, his scrawny arms wrapped around Azura's waist and he buried his weeping eyes into her gown.

_Don't let them hurt me, álfr, _the boy begged, squeezing her tightly as he feared for his life.

Azura held her arms up, taken back by his actions. Her gaze rose from the boy, slow as a snail, and fell upon Kadian's face, then across Arthur's. "I-I..." she stuttered, trembling as the sounds escaped her lips. Her lips pressed firmly together as she lower her arms to embrace the child; it was too late to convince any of them that she had nothing to do with this. Arthur had already pieced the night's events together and it fell upon Azura heavily as the guards escorted her, Kadian and the boy back to the palace to the awaiting Uther.

Merlin ran out of Guinevere's house, followed by the ward and her maidservant. Their eyes fell upon the scene of the guards marching Kadian and the druid toward the palace, but they felt even more remorse when they saw Azura with her arms held behind her back. Azura sent them a scared glance.

-x-

Kadian and Azura stood before Uther in his dining hall, hands folded guiltily behind their backs and their gazes to the floor. The king was distraught as he fought for the proper terms to scold them with; he paced to and fro, biting his tongue when he tried to speak. He placed a hand against the table and his eyes were shut, trying to wake him from this unbearable nightmare. Arthur leaned against the right wall, his arms crossed against his chest as he too wished to wake up from this dream.

"All this time, you have been hiding the boy in my own palace," Uther growled with his tone rising as his anger bubbled. "How could you betray me like this?" He stared up at them now, looking between them for some sort of answer.

"I would not see him executed," Kadian replied lifting her hot gaze off the floor; she would not let him intimidate her even with the hate-filled eyes that cascaded upon her face. At her side, Azura remained with her blue eyes to the floor, nearly on the verge of bursting into tears.

"You are my daughter and this is how you behave," he snarled, face red with fury; the word _daughter_ rolled hastily off his tongue as if it was cursed. "And you," he sneered, glaring at Azura now who dared not to move her gaze, "I have treated you as my own ever since you came to my doors. How do you explain yourself for this… this _treachery_?"

"Daughter?" Kadian cackled, shaking her head like she misheard. "I did what I thought was right," she replied in haste, wishing that Azura would answer the king, but she stayed silent. "How could this child be your enemy? He's so young!"

"He's a druid!" Uther bellowed, stalking closer and closer which each heavy footstep.

"And being born is a crime?" Kadian hissed, flustered.

"His kind would see me destroyed and return this kingdom to anarchy," Uther growled annoyed at her tone. He was before her; his nose was only inches from hers as he glowered at her. "And _you_ would help them! Is that what you want, to watch my kingdom fall into chaos? Do you!"

"Punish me then! Go on, do it," Kadian shouted and took a short step toward the King, who responded with a swift step backward. "I do not care about the blood that we share; I would rather be burned than share any resemblance to you! Azura did nothing; she wanted nothing to do with him! I take full blame because I will not tremble before your hatred for magic!"

Uther stared at his daughter, examining the raging inferno that blazed in her eyes. Oh, they were Ygraine's eyes, soft and serene but yet so cold. He turned away. "Make arrangements for the boy to be executed first thing in the morning," he ordered his son as he stalked away.

"NO! He's done nothing!" Kadian cried storming after her father.

"Let this be a lesson to you," Uther snarled in a low, dark voice, spinning to her with a hand raised; he let his hand fall when he saw the subtle shock in her eyes.

"You don't have to do this," the princess replied lowering her voice to a compassionate whisper; she was nearly pleading, ready to fall onto her knees and crawl until her pleas were answered.

"Do you hear me? I want him executed at dawn." Uther repeated angrily at Arthur as he turned to continue to the opposite side of the chamber.

Arthur nodded his head. "Yes, father," he sighed, the image of the boy embracing Azura flashing before his eyes in an endless loop.

"WHAT HAVE THESE PEOPLE DONE TO YOU!" Kadian screamed, storming after her father with two clenched fists at her side. It did matter to her if she blew her entire secret, at least then her father would see what he has created, not only a fear for magic, but also an enchantress of his own blood. "WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY!"

Uther whipped around and caught Kadian by the throat and pushed her back, against the head chair that sat before the grand table. He would have suffocated her too if something had not touched his wrist and distracted him from his natural, disturbing impulse.

"_Get your hand... off of her_," Azura hissed, prying the King's hand off Kadian's throat as her face began to burn red. No one had seen her cross the chamber; no one had been watching. Sharply, she pulled her tight fingers off Uther's wrist and let her arm dangle at her side.

Uther stared at Kadian as she gasped for air to fill her deprived lungs; the petrified glint in her eyes could not falter his anger this time, not matter how much they resembled his wife's. "I will not hear another word from you," he growled at his daughter and took Azura forcibly by the wrist. Pulling her from the chamber, through the rear door, he growled harshly, "You, come with me."

Arthur watched his father take Azura from the room, wondering whether he should follow or exit through the other door. Kadian looked over at him, knowing that the pain he felt was entirely her fault. "Arthur, I can explain..." she said, but he held up his hand for her to be quiet.

"I don't want to hear it," he said as he turned to exit the chamber; he did not want to be the person to tell the executioner is services were needed at dawn to slay an innocent boy who happened to stumble into the wrong marketplace.

-x-

"I took you in, when you had nowhere else to go," Uther began, releasing Azura's wrist that had turned a bright red at his grasp. His pace slowed. "I sat at your bedside while you were on the verge of death. What am I suppose to think of this?" he stepped in front of her, his face noticeably much calmer than it had been.

"Think what you want, sire," Azura replied, rubbing her wrist with her opposite fingers to massage feeling back into it. "I wanted nothing to do with the child. I will admit that I used to have friends within the Druids, back when my kingdom ruled its lands, but since then, I have never spoken a word to them. Magic no doubt destroyed the things I hold dear, my lord, I trust that you know that."

"I do," Uther replied, "but it does not excuse your actions."

"What do you want from me?" Azura said in haste.

There was a flash in Uther's eyes at her question. "You know what I desire," he grinned cockily. "There are seldom things that are keeping me from executing you alongside the boy, I trust you know that."

Azura took a sharp breath as she took one step back. "Gi-give me time to get things in order, sire," she said, dipping her head.

Uther nodded and turned away. "Very well," he said and walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of a deserted corridor.

-x-

Kadian pushed open the door to her chambers with tears streaming down her eyes. She found Merlin's waiting arms and they embraced her strongly. His fingers slipped through her blonde hair as he told her that everything was going to be all right. In the depths of her chamber sat Morgana and Guinevere who jumped to their feet as Merlin led her over to her bed and had her sit and put her feet up.

"I-I promised him nothing bad would ever happen to him," Kadian said, wiping her face rid of the tiny droplets that fell.

Merlin sat to her side, pulling her close, and rested his cheek against her temple, still sliding his fingers through her hair. "He's in jail now, there's nothing we can do," he replied.

"I won't see him executed," Kadian snapped, rising to her feet. Her eyes fell upon each of their worried faces which screamed for her to tell of the night's happenings. It had been hours since they had last seen her, being marched back to the castle. It was passed dawn, and the larks had already began to sing their pieces through the air.

"What's happened to Azura?" Morgana asked, stepping forward to give Kadian a sympathetic embrace. "We saw her... we saw them take her."

"I don't know," Kadian shrugged, turning away from the three of them and pulling out of Morgana's grasp. "The boy ran to her, it was like he _knew_. She had no choice; Arthur blamed her for taking his keys to help me. She didn't turn anyone in. Uther took her to speak in private. I hope she doesn't meet a fate because of what we did."

"Why would she…" Guinevere said, drifting off when the three set stares on her.

"Because she is a good person," Morgana replied before turning to Kadian and Merlin. "I must go. I'm sorry." She embraced Kadian once more and led Gwen from the chamber, back to her own quarters to wait out the boy's execution that lingered over the next morning.

When the door shut, Merlin turned Kadian to him and brushed her hair back. "Who did this to you?" he asked, gently tracing the red marks that grasped her thin neck. His eyes locked with hers as he spoke, overflowing with concern.

Kadian turned her head away, pressing her lips together to form a line.

"Answer me," Merlin said, taking a tender hand and moving her chin to set her eyes on him again.

"Uther," she mumbled under her breath, rubbing her hand around her throbbing neck.

The pigment in his eyes would have turned red if they could, but his face took their colour instead. His hands trembled as they returned to his side, where they clenched two tight fists by his hips. Merlin turned around and stalked toward the door without another word to Kadian. He reached for the doorknob but froze where he stood, with a hand extended toward the door. "Merlin," Kadian said, letting her eyes fall to the floor. "I can't let you go."

"He nearly killed you, Kadian. I will make it so he could never lay a hand on you again," Merlin growled in a low tone that sent frights up and down her spine.

She had never heard him talk with such hatred in his voice, no one had. "No matter how much I want you to, Merlin," she said, forcing him to turn around to face her with a spark of silver in her eye, "I can't let you risk your head. I'm breathing, that's all that matters."

"No, there are many more things that matter," Merlin protested, trying to move his frozen muscles. "He won't get away with this."

"He already has," Kadian said, walking up to him and draping her arms around his shoulders before thawing his muscles. "But, revealing ourselves will do no good for the boy. Merlin, we must set him free before dawn, before Uther can kill him."

Warmth flooded back into his body and, for a moment, he nearly turned back to the door and stormed out to find Uther, but her arms were his captor. Slowly, his arms embraced her, allowing his fingers to skim across the pale blue fabric that concealed her from him. "What is your plan?" he whispered in her ears as he rest rested gently on her shoulder.

"You're just going to have to trust me, Merlin," Kadian said, stepping around him. Her hand trailed across his torso as she reached for the door and pulled it open.

-x-

Arthur walked into his chamber, running a confused hand through his hair. The night's events put his mind far from ease. He took a seat on the chair closest to the open window and rested his head in his hand, trying to figure out were he had lost his sense and when Azura stole his keys and handed them to Kadian. After informing the executioner of his morning deed, Arthur had tried, yet again to get a lighter sentence for the boy, like life imprisonment. However, Camelot's king would not hear reason and snapped when Arthur said that he would never get Kadian's forgiveness, which Uther made clear that he did not care about at all. Also, Uther told Arthur that he needed "to keep a tighter leash" on Azura, because there was nothing left keeping her from being killed the next time she stepped a foot out of line.

There was a soft knock on his door and he looked up, grasping the goblet of water that was within reach. "Enter," he said before taking a sip.

He had half-expected Azura to walk in, but his sister came in instead with her soft hands folded together behind her back. "You can't let _him_ execute the boy," she said, approaching her brother with soft steps.

"You're lucky he's not executing you," Arthur grumbled, covering his tone with the goblet. "Are you telling me that he really was behind the screen when I came to search your chambers?"

Kadian nodded as she took a seat, combing her hair in front of her neck to conceal the marks that were beginning to turn purple. "I _know_ that you think its wrong to execute him."

"That's what I believe, but it doesn't matter," he grumbled, placing the goblet firmly on the table as he rose to his feet. "Father's made up his mind and cannot be talked out of it. I tried."

"You're just going to give up?" Kadian asked following her brother with her eyes. "The time for talking is over. It won't help us and it certainly wouldn't have helped Azura. You honestly think that she was behind this alongside me, don't you? Of all people, she was the most against it and even attempted to stop us."

"_Us?_ Of course that idiot servant is with you on this," Arthur grumbled.

"I can't believe you will let an innocent child die," Kadian stated, rising to her feet and approaching her brother.

"It's too late. He's already been caught. I have no choice," the prince replied, turning away to look out the window.

"So, this is how you're going to rule when your king? Guilty until proven innocent?" Kadian asked, placing her hands on her waist. "We're not like him, you're _nothing_ like our father."

"I won't betray him," Arthur stated, gazing at his sister with a fierce stare.

"Do what you will, but I won't stand by and let it happen," Kadian replied as he turned away. "Please, if you won't do it for the boy, then at least do it for me, for Azura even. Please, Arthur, I wouldn't beg you to do this unless I had no choice."

Arthur sighed and turned around, scooping the goblet of water into his hand as he sat down. "Get Merlin in here, I know he's nearby," he grumbled and ignored the brightness that shown in his sister's eyes as he agreed to betray his father.

Kadian retrieved Merlin from down the hall and remerged in her brother's chambers with her hands wrapped in Merlin's. "We're going to break the boy out of prison," she smiled, proud of her triumph over Arthur.

Merlin unwrapped her arm and stepped away. "It's too dangerous," he protested. "Uther already caught you once. If the king catches you again, he'll do worse than strangle you."

"But, _we_ have to!" Kadian protested, shooting him a dark stare. He was supposed to be on her side, not on Uther's.

"Merlin's right. Once he hears that the boy has escaped, he'll suspect you immediately," Arthur said, thinking with his head against the palm of his hand.

"It is suicide," Merlin pointed out, still receiving the glare would scare the Great Dragon himself.

Arthur picked his head up as an idea jumped into his mind. "Go to him, and apologize, dine with him," he said, gazing up at his sister who shifted a softer stare on him which morphed into a pleading anything-but-that look. "He cannot hold you responsible if you're with him when the boy escapes."

"You _need_ me for this to work. The boy only trusts certain people," Kadian protested even though she saw the logic in his words.

"He trusts Merlin," Arthur pointed out rising to his feet and setting the goblet back on the table since it was now empty. He approached Merlin. "I'm going to bring the boy out through the burial vaults, there's a tunnel that leads beyond the city. Get my horse from the stables and meet me there. There's a grate that covers the entrance to the vault. Bring a rope and a grappling hook to pull it off."

"Merlin, if you're not there to get them, they will surely be caught," Kadian said as she placed another glare on him once he tried to refuse to participate.

He remembered the dragon's words that it was unwise for him to aid the child. This boy had already brought Kadian close to death, but does that call for his murder? "Alright," Merlin sighed, relaxing the dark stare on Kadian's face.

Arthur walked toward the door and stopped. "And will one of you please find Azura?" he asked, not turning around. "Can't have her getting roped into this." The prince left his chamber to get ready to carry out their diabolical plan that could very well be the end of his life.

-x-

The doors to Uther's dining hall were pushed inward by the stationed guards. Kadian came in, wearing a light blue corset gown. White pearls fringed the elegantly embroidered corset, matching the pigment of the seams. She had tied her hair up into a curled bun, letting several strands of her white-blonde hair curtain her apologetic face. Her silver-gloved hands were resting idly at the sides of the silk, blue skirt, trembling from her efforts to not attack her father where he sat, pigging out on his dinner. Kadian was unable to find Azura and it raised fear into her eyes.

Uther gazed up from his delightful meal and frowned when he saw that it was his daughter that interrupted him. Swiftly, the doors shut behind her. It was only she and her father now, staring directly at each other like the other did not exist. "I have come to apologize, my lord," Kadian began with a deep sigh. "You are a kind, generous, and fair man," she continued letting tears well up in her eyes for a more dramatic effect. "You brought me into this world and I owe you for much more than you think. I have come to realize that I had not thought of the consequences for my actions and that my mind was in a far away land. My behaviour was unforgivable and punishable by death. I beg for your forgiveness as a person of your kingdom, and as your d-daughter."

The king gazed up at Kadian and his eyes seem to water when he saw someone different standing before him in the pale blue gown: Ygraine. "I am glad that you have seen sense," he said, straightening himself from leaning on the arm of his chair. "Dine with me, and let us put this unfortunate event behind us."

A maidservant jumped into action by the king's words and retrieved another serving of food and a dish for the princess. Kadian took a seat on the opposite end of the table and smiled gratefully as the maid placed the dish before her and two more placed plates of food on the table within her reach. They dipped their heads, respectively, and departed from the chamber without another sound.

Kadian, still shaken by the easy forgiveness from her father, reached for one of the slices of ham that was on the plate one maid placed down. She exchanged glances with her father as they dined, not knowing whether to make conversation or keep quiet. The hand that held her fork trembled as time went passed with no echo of the warning bell ringing through the kingdom.

She jumped when the door swung open again behind. "I am sorry to disturb you, sire," a soft voice said by Kadian's right.

"Nonsense," Uther said, his face lighting up as if he set his eyes upon a treasure trove. "Come in, come in."

Azura walked by Kadian with a piece of parchment rolled up in her right grasp. The tail of her white, silk gown brushed against Kadian's arm, causing the princess to follow her with her eyes. Below Azura' chest was a large, gold piece of fabric that wrapped around her entire torso, holding glisten jewels that branched out onto the white in the shape of a S. Her hair tumbled onto her shoulders in waves like honey. "My lord," she said, extended the hand that clasped the parchment with her fingers, "I present this to you with my deepest apologies for my behaviour. I ask one thing in return, my lord, that you leave my home city where it stands, in the darkness of its ashes."

Her fingers released the rolled parchment. It fell into Uther's waiting hand. "Please, join us," he said, nodding to her single request.

Azura dipped her hand and took a seat where Uther motioned with his arm, the chair to his right.

The warning bell sounded through the palace and city, startling them all as they ate. Azura gazed around, her blue eyes sweeping across Kadian's scared face: the boy had escaped.

-x-

Merlin sat in his chambers, gazing at his boots. _If the boy lives, you cannot fulfil your destiny_, the Great Dragon's voice echoed in his ears. He had not told Kadian of the dragon's words to leave the boy alone, and he regretted not speaking up before. His fingers dug through his dark hair as this dilemma deepened.

_You're telling me, that little boy is going to kill Arthur?_ He had replied to the dragon. Night and day, different like the two sides of the same coin. Arthur would be in the burial vaults by now, with the boy, waiting for him to spring them from the tunnel.

He could hear the warning bell chime through the night air, drowning out the voice of the dragon.

_Emrys!_ The boy's voice cried in his mind, pleading.

Merlin gazed up at the beamed ceiling, wishing that he could block the boy's voice from his mind; it was a different kind of magic, one that was foreign to him.

_Emrys. Where are you Emrys?_ The boy asked from the burial vaults. _Emrys, help us, please. They're coming... ... I'm scared, Emrys. They will kill me... don't do this._

Merlin placed his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear any more. It was like he was with them, seeing the shadows of the guards against the illuminated wall.

_Don't ignore me; I know you can hear me,_ the druid said darkly. _I thought you were my friend. I don't want to die, Emrys. EMRYS!_

Merlin rose to his feet, aggravated by the voice that swam through his head, drowning out his own thoughts. He left his chamber and passed by the physician, not caring that he received a dark, curious stare.

-x-

Arthur held his sword before him, preparing to use it to buy Merlin more time or make a second way to escape the tunnel. The boy was at his side, undoubtedly petrified that his doom was just on the other end of the corridor, resting with the guards that searched for him and his new accomplice. There was a sound behind him and Arthur turned, relieved to see his manservant on the other side. "Where the _hell_ have you been?" he growled, sheathing his sword.

"I had trouble getting out of the castle," Merlin replied, gazing at the boy who stared at him.

"Well, get this grate off. They're coming," Arthur whispered as the voices of the guards echoed from behind.

Merlin disappeared and took hold of the grappling hook he retrieved on his way. The hook grasped the grate in its claw, and with one quick, strong pull the bars came loose, spilling Arthur and the boy into the wood surrounding Camelot.

The prince mounted his horse with the druid boy before him, concealed in his green cloak. "If my father asks where I am, tell him I have gone on a hunting trip," Arthur stated, grasping the reins. "Make yourself scarce, or they'll execute you in his place." He flicked the reins and dug his heels into the horses flank, sending the animal forward.

_Good-bye, Emrys. I know that one day, we will meet again_, the boy said, setting his eyes upon the warlock as the house carried him and the prince into the depths of the wood. There was a hint of darkness in the boy's voice that raised Merlin's eyebrow suspiciously.

-x-

The doors to the dining hall swung open and the guard Uther sent to see why the warning bell was ringing came in. "My lord, I regret to inform that the druid boy has escaped the dungeons," he spoke, dipping his head quickly.

The king jumped to his feet, exclaiming, "What? How?" He stalked toward his guards.

"My lord, he was assisted by some accomplices. The guards are searching Camelot as we speak," the guard replied Uther's frantic questions.

"Find him and his accomplices and kill them all," Uther growled.

"Yes, my lord," the guard replied, bowing his head, and departing from the room.

The king's stare swept across his daughter, then to Azura who placed a luscious, green grape into her mouth and bit into it, smiling as its juices poured into her mouth. "If I discover that somehow you were involved in freeing this boy, the consequences will be severe," he growled like a ravenous dog.

"My lord, you know we respect you too much to do something like that," Kadian replied, setting a straight gaze on her father's face.

Uther took no meaning from his daughter's words and stalked from the room, to his chamber where he would await the news of the boy's death. When the door shut behind the king and his footsteps were mere whispers in the wind, Azura rose to her feet and stood before Kadian in a flash. "You really are the most daring person I have ever met," she said. "Let's just hope that they make it before the search parties get to them."

"How did you..." Kadian asked, getting to her feet.

"I always could hear the boys cries, even if they were not for me to hear," she replied sofly. "Never, ever ask for my help with anything like this again, or I will not hesitate to turn you and Merlin in."

"What did you give my father?" Kadian asked.

"The last bit of my kingdom that I controlled; though, I have really done much with it anyways," Azura answered and walked from the hall, leaving Kadian to think on her words.

-x-

Arthur and the druid travelled through the woods until the dawn light seeped through the roof of trees in a blue-green glow. The echoes of the warning bell had finally faded as they proceeded deeper and deeper into the trees. The prince pulled back on the reins, ceasing the horse's forward trot. He helped the boy down and then dismounted the horse, eyeing the cloaked beings that stood several feet in front of them.

He led the druid across the land between the two parties until the boy's hand was taken. "We are forever indebted to you, Arthur Pendragon, for returning the boy to us," the druid man said as he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder; the boy smiled, happy to be among people he could trust.

"You must not let it be known that it was I that had brought him to you," Arthur stated, shifting uneasy glances between the druids he faced.

"We will tell no one, you have my word," the elder druid nodded. He and the other druids turned away and walked toward the darkened trees.

Arthur watched them going, seeing the boy be last to turn. "Wait, I don't even know your name," he called, watching the boy and meeting his startled gaze when he turned. "At least tell me your name."

The druid child gazed up at the man who held his shoulder, who said that it was all right. "My name is Mordred," he replied, setting his bright, green eyes on Arthur.

"Good luck, Mordred," Arthur said, staring into the abyss behind the boy's green gaze. Their gazes locked for a prolonged time and Arthur began to suspect that there was something being withheld from him, something that was very bad. He watched the four druids take their leave before slowly turning back to his horse.

When he mounted and gazed off in the direction they were walking, they had disappeared like smoke in the wind.

-x-

By sunset the next day, the search had been called off; it was inevitable that the child was still within the walls of Uther's grand city. The king did not speak to Kadian or Azura again, but addressed his people that morning. In his hand was the piece of parchment that Azura had given him the day that the boy escaped from the dungeons.

He read it aloud, his voice full of pride and triumph,

_"I, the rightful heir to the throne of Luthrembel, hereby present Uther Pendragon, patriarch of the kingdom of Camelot, the lands of which my ancestors before me had governed for a great many years. The villages and provinces from the west edge of the Forest of Balor to the raging seas of the Channel shall hereby be part of the grand kingdom of the Uther Pendragon and those who rule thereafter. I willingly hand over the right to these lands now, and forever. _

_"Signed, the Lady Azura Lightwing, formerly of Luthrembel._"

-x-

**This chapter's translations:**

_Cara-Emrys_ _(Cara chan Emrys)_ means love of Emyrs (aka. Merlin) inWelsh.

_**Next time on **_**Forbidden Magic and Desires:**

_**Darkness befalls Camelot, shrouding two of the most fearsome creatures in thick, heavy shadows. The lust to perform an ancient ritual leads to the kidnapping of the Lady Azura and the threat to take another. "Two unique bloods shall give a new life," a dark face sneers through thick, steel bars with eyes a bright, ravenous red. High in the sky, the full moon glowers, casting the cathedral in violet.**_


	11. Episode Ten: The Cathedral of Válnak

**Rated M for graphic and _lemon_ scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is effected by their presence. This chapter is our own plot line, therefore we own it.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

Shadows loomed over Camelot as clouds tumbled over the beautiful stars on their dark blanket. A faint, shrill wind screeched through the vacant streets of the lower town, rustling hay across the dirt. The palace stood majestically over its smaller counterparts with several lights flickering in the many windows. Azura sat in her chamber with her ferret standing on her lap as she wrote on a blank journal page with a white-feathered quill. Her hand writing was small, bold cursive letters that filled the page with the days events and her hopes for the next day. A candle was lit by her left, shedding its stare upon the soft parchment as she wrote.

There was a knock on her door, but she paid no mind, she did not wish to speak to anyone. It had been many days since Uther had read the declaration she had drafted, the one that ceded what lands she had left under her name over to Camelot. The people of the the city seemed delighted while others in its residence tried to question why such events had come, the prince being one. Azura would not speak to him, nor hear the words he wished to share with her; it was a touchy subject which could be answered with a moment of deep thought. It was her life or her land.

"Azura, please let me in," Arthur begged from the opposite side of the closed door. This had to have been the seventh time this evening he had tried to enter her chamber, with no luck.

Azura looked up from her journal and set her eyes upon the clouds that hovered in the sky and the silent town below. The feather of the quill flicked her cheek while she thought. Then she saw it, a pair of moving shadows within the streets, each with a faint red glow. Her window was open and she could hear the sounds of the outside world, not that there was much to hear but the soothing serenade of the nightingales and crickets. However, there was a voice on the window, one that sent chills up and down her spine like none other had before.

She rose to her feet and reached for the cloak on the back of the chair she had been sitting on. Felipe leapt onto the desk, smearing the wet ink on the parchment, watching her as she tied the cloak around her neck hastily and grabbed her brother's sword from the far right corner. Securing it to the tie around her waist, she pulled open the door and walked passed the aggravated Arthur who nearly fell over.

"Azura?" he asked, following her down the hall.

"I saw something in the town," she said, descending down the steps quickly, like she was hovering in the air.

"What?" Arthur asked, running to keep up with her pace.

"I don't know, but I hope it was a big pigeon," she replied, stepping out into the courtyard and proceeding toward the town. "Check that way, don't alert anyone, it may be nothing." She pointed to the rightward path as she continued forward, not giving Arthur a chance to argue or change the subject.

The gravel turned to dust as Azura passed through the barren streets with nothing but shadows following her every step. There was a musky scent on the air, a scent that belonged in a graveyard, the ghastly stench of death. Her hand gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, ready to draw it in a seconds notice. She hoped it was just her wild imagination, but there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that would not go away.

The wind screeched and forced Azura to a stop as she covered her eyes to avoid catching dust in the eye.

"Hey there, princess," a low voice said, "Thought I was never going to find you."

Azura lowered her arm before her eyes. Before her was a black horse with a rider glowering from its back. A tattered cloak billowed in the wind as it blew to the west, pulling back its shield over the rider's face. A pair of deep set, ruby-red eyes stared back her, watching as she stepped backward and drew the sword. However, she found the broad chest of another horse in the back. Her head whipped around and a second set of red eyes stared at her, starving and greedy. She stepped to the right and faced the two riders, a single blade between them and her. "Don't come any closer," she hissed.

"Talk, run, has no fun," the second rider said lowly; his voice was husky and dark, she remembered it from the last time. "Scream, dream, all you want. Two bloods here, two bloods there. Must take one, another will come."

A hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her closer to the horse that now had no rider. Azura pulled away, slashing the blade in the air as she ran toward the palace. "ARTHUR!" she screamed, watching as the second horseman spurred his horse into a gallop after her.

Her feet came to a halt, a man stood before her with his red eyes beating down upon her like a hammer. His fingers curled around her neck as the clouds parted and shed moonlight into the street. The man's lips parted as he lifted her up with pure strength of his arm. The sword in her grasp collapsed onto the floor as she gazed down at her assailant. Two long fangs glimmered in the silver light, drenched in fresh, crimson blood (not her own).

His skin was like ice against her warm flesh, chilling her to the bone. Shivering, she raised an arm and brought it down hard upon the man's arm, breaking his grip on her throat. Gasping for breath, she ran in the opposite direction and slipped passed the rider and horse who turned to intercept her.

"ARTHUR!" she screamed as she dashed away from the muffled laughs behind her.

The man was before her in a flash, she had never seen a being move so fast. Unable to stop, she collided with him and fell backward as his stance stay firm and unaltered. Bending down stiffly, he caressed her cheek with the back of his cold hand and grinned at the spark of panic in her eyes. With a blow to the skull, her rapid breaths ceased.

-x-

Arthur looked up, hearing Azura's voice screaming against the wind; it startled him at first, causing him to jump as he stepped. Drawing his sword with a shrill shriek of the metal against the scabbard, he ran through the shadowed alleys toward the path she had taken. The silver moonlight faded as he stepped into the scene. His eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness and all he could see was a shadowed figure lift another from the ground and place it on the horse that tapped at the earth impatiently.

The figure glanced back, hearing Arthur's soft footprints on the soil, and his eyes met that of the puzzled prince's. They pair of orbs were red, bright and deathly and Arthur stepped forward, knowing magic, or like thereof, when he saw it.

A second horse galloped passed him, nearly sending him off his feet for the beast's body was so close to his. "Go we must!" the second horseman shouted, raising an arm in the air and pointing to the darkened gates in the distance.

Arthur grabbed the dagger on his belt and threw it as hard as he could; he was running as fast as he could, heart racing. The steel whirled through the air with a gentle _hurr_ and pinned the second horseman in the back; he fell off of his horse that continued onward without a care that his rider had fallen. Arthur ran after them, shouting Azura's name but the rider's horse was too quick for him.

The prince of Camelot stood in the open gates of Camelot, watching feebly as the sole rider rode off with his Azura; there was faint laugh on the bitter wind. "Sound the warning bell!" he shouted angrily to the guards that were stationed in watchtower.

With a glance in the direction of the dark wood, seeing nothing but the shadows that extended from the trees, Arthur ran back to the man who had a dagger digging deeply into his back. The man was laughing as the prince approached him, greeting him with a hasty boot to the face. "Where did he take her!" Arthur shouted and kicked the man onto his back; by doing so, he pressed the dagger further into his flesh.

"Oh, you would want to know. But yet, I know not only the raven knows," the man riddled, staring up at Arthur with his red-hot eyes; his blue lips, greyed with shadows, curved into a grin. "Two... _bloods_."

His eyelids fell over his eyes as he took another boot to the face.

-x-

Kadian was woken from the sound of the warning bell blaring through Camelot. She rose to her feet and slipped her feet into her shoes before grabbing her cloak and leaving her chamber; it was all one swift motion. The halls had become lively with startled and confused people who mingled with each in hope for some answer. Running to the council chamber, she caught her father's stare in the face. "What's happening?" she asked and avoided her father's gaze as she crossed the chamber.

"I don't know," Uther replied as he shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes; he did not enjoy being woken from a very pleasing slumber. A guard rushed into the chamber and did not bother to dip his head. "Why has the warning bell been sounded?" Uther demanded, raising his eyebrows as he fought off a yawn.

"Lady Azura has been kidnapped," the guard panted heavily. "The prince is on his way." He remembered to dip his head as he turned and exited the chamber.

Uther placed his head in his hand, rubbing his temples soothingly. "Who could've done this?"

Kadian's eyes widened, how could someone kidnap Azura? Her father shared the same questions as more and more citizens of Camelot awoke in the palace and town, filling the corridor with commotion. The knights raced into the chamber and positioned themselves around the hall to protect the king if necessary. Kadian began to shake, it was the first time she ever felt she needed the protection of the knights her father had appointed.

Finally after several minutes of panic, Arthur came into the hall meeting his father who ran to him, demanding to be filled in on the situation. "There were two of them," Arthur explained as he fought to catch his breath, "both tried to make a run for it... I tried to stop them, sire, I truly did. I got one in the back with a knife, but the other got away... with Azura. I ask permission to ride out in pursuit."

"Go," Uther said, pushing his son toward the doorway. "Where is he?"

"The dungeons!" Arthur shouted as he ran from the room and around the corner.

Kadian turned to her father as he told the knights to split into parties and be ready to ride out once his son had been suited in his mail. "Is there anything I can do, father?" she asked trembling after the knights scrambled from the chamber.

"Spread the word, no one is to leave Camelot until Azura is found," he stated heatedly, trying to suppress his anger that furrowed his brow.

She dipped her head and ran through the corridors, returning to her own chamber to change into something more pleasing than her nightgown. The first person on her agenda to tell was Morgana, who was watching from her windowsill. She was just as shocked as Kadian had been when she heard what had happened. Nodding, Morgana and Guinevere raced to tell more of the King's orders.

Kadian dashed into the court physician's chamber, nearly startling Gaius from where he stood. Merlin was still in his bedroom, fast asleep and snoring loudly. She ran into his bedroom, stumbling over something that was hidden in the dark, and pounced on him, shaking him roughly until he was wide awake and shouting for her to tell him what was wrong. Gaius listened from the doorway as she told him what had happened and left his chamber to consult with the king and the court.

The princess pulled Merlin out of bed and ordered him to get dressed and spread the word. She ran through the town, telling all the concern citizens to return to their homes and that no one is to leave the city. At the sound of clattering hooves, she stepped to the side of the street and watched as the knights rode by. Arthur was in the lead, his eyes set on the shadow cast trees around Camelot and pleading that he would reach Azura in time, before anything terrible could happen to her.

-x-

Lemon rays of sunlight peeked over the dark horizon and cast the skyline with rose and amber, the warm colours of dawn. The chaos that began than night barely had calmed, many of the guards searched the city ruthlessly while Uther prepared to interrogate the prisoner Arthur had successfully thwarted during his escape. Unable to spare time to address the concerned people, he gave orders for Kadian to take his place and tell the people the truth, but leave them unaware of the guest in the dungeon.

The princess stood on the balcony; her face was haloed by the morning sun. Below were many of the panicking civilians who beamed at her with wide, curious stares. "People of Camelot," she said loudly, hoping that everyone could hear her soft voice; she swept her gaze across each of their puzzled expressions. She could put a name to every face. "Last evening, one of our own was kidnapped before our eyes. The knights and guard are searching my father's city and the surrounding wood and villages for the man who kidnapped the Lady Azura. Unfortunately, my father is busy organizing this search which is why it is my address you this fine morning. So, until these events have been resolved, it is necessary for all to stay within the city and willingly allow our search parties to look through your homes for any signs that can point to Azura's whereabouts. I ask you not to panic, the situation is under control."

Murmurs arose from the gathered crowd as they all turned to each other. The same questions that rattled through Kadian's mind erupted in the gathered: how could this happen? What was she doing out that late? Are we all in danger? Is there or will there be ransom?

"I ask for your full cooperation so we can bring her home safely. Anyone who wishes to aid in this search can do so by referring to the court physician who will be stationed in this courtyard for the remainder of the morning. He will take down your name and will assign you to a search party when the knights return from the initial search," Kadian stated calmly and the murmurs faded to soft whispers. "Thank you." She nodded her head, smiled weakly, and turned away from the people and returned into the palace, where she met Merlin's waiting arms.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Kadian closed her eyes in means to clear her rattled mind. She felt like crying for the uncertain outcome of the kidnapping. How could anyone outrun an elf? Azura could run faster than light if she wanted, even with the threat of using too much of her limited magic. "It's going to be all right," Merlin cooed, combing his fingers through the back of her hair. "Arthur will find her. The two are like separated messenger pigeons; he'll find her, no matter what it takes."

-x-

Uther stormed down the staircase as he emerged in the musky-smelling dungeons. The stationed guards leapt to their feet and dipped their heads as he passed. Paying no mind, he approached the cell in which the man was leaning against the far well, eyes closed. "Wake up!" the king bellowed, slamming his palms into the steel bars as he glared through them.

The man's eyelids were drawn back as he sighed heavily, his chest rising and falling awkward with his breath. He stared at the king with weary, ruby eyes. Startled, Uther stepped away from the bars for he had never seen something thing that."It is a pleasure, to stand in your presence," he said with a yawn and tilted his head from side to side, cracking his bones harshly.

"Where has your abettor taken her!" Uther asked darkly as he curled his fingers around the steel bars., gripping them tightly again. When the prisoner huffed in replied, he snarled, "Answer me!"

"Riddle me this, riddle me that. Here am I, there she is," the man grinned from his shadows, waving a pale hand in the air carelessly. "Two bloods needed, one taken."

"I ask you once more, where is she?" Uther shook the bars violently, causing the entire wall of metal to tremble. The king gritted his teeth like he was baring them as a ravenous wolf; he would not succumb to the indecency of abductors.

"The sun burns," the prisoner replied with a petty chuckle and heavy breaths, "like what you wish to learn. Bring me sustenance, only then shall I indulge you."

"You will get nothing," Uther growled. Hastily. There was a scary glint in his eyes, but it did not match that of the man across from him who furrowed brow cast dark shadows over the ruby eyes.

"So be it," the prisoner replied, shrugging, and closed his eyes.

Uther reached for the keys on his belt, ready to storm into the cell to interrogate in the man face-to-face, but before the key touched the keyhole a guard race down the stairs. Bowing his head, he received the king's enraged eyes square. "Sire," said the guard, "Prince Arthur has returned to Camelot. He is waiting for you."

Clenching his teeth, Uther released his grip on the keys and turned away from the cell. As the king scaled the staircase to return to the lively parts of his palace, he could hear muffled laughs coming from the shadows cloaking his prisoner. This made him frown and glance grimly over his shoulder

-x-

Arthur looked up as his father walked into the room with his hand on his sword; he flinched at the sound of the door as it creaked on its aged hinges. "Anything?" Uther asked immediately with his voice waning on desperate as he stared at his son.

The prince shook his head hastily from side to side. "Nothing, father, absolutely nothing," he sighed deeply and slipped a gloved hand through his windblown. "It's like the horse sprouted wings and flew away, there are no tracks. It's like they never came or left, but they were there, I saw him take her."

Nodding, the king rested a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder, feeling how tense the muscles were. "Our captive is unwilling to talk," Uther grumbled subtly hesitant. "We will find her, no matter what the cost. Ten thousand men will search Albion if necessary."

Arthur rolled his shoulder rid of the firm hand. He nodded assuringly to himself. "Sir McAllister and Sir Owain are still in the wood. The rest came back to group the volunteers," Arthur stated and looked toward the door as it swung open again.

The court physician stepped into the hall with a roll of parchment in his grasp and dipped his head before approaching them. "Good news, sire, at least twenty men have offered their services to the hunt," Gaius said with a smile and placed the parchment in Uther's waiting hand.

"Twenty men," Uther repeated amazed as he unravelled the parchment and read each of the inscribed names. Rolling the parchment, he handed it to his son. "Return to the search as soon as possible. I will send word to you once our prisoner is willing to speak. Do not leave any stone unturned."

"Yes, father," Arthur replied and departed from the chamber swiftly with the parchment clutched tightly between his fingers like he wanted to squeeze the life out of it.

Once the oak doors shut behind the prince, Uther turned to Gaius with concern written in his eyes. "Tell me, physician, who would dare come to my lands and kidnap one of my wards?" he questioned grimly, like Gaius was a suspect.

"Someone with an act for evil, my lord," Gaius replied with a courteous dip of his head. He studied Uther's expression carefully, trying to read the well-armour thoughts that swam in the forefront of Uther's mind. "Is there something troubling you, sire?"

Uther's head shook slowly as his eyelids came together and his brow furrowed slightly. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, Gaius," the king said gently and set his gaze on his long-time colleague.

"Sire?" the physician asked cocking an eyebrow, but the king raised a hand and silenced him. Dipping his head, Gaius retreated from the chamber.

-x-

A pained moan escaped her parting lips. Her head pounded in her skull like a hammer beating a nail, it was almost unbearable but she forced her eyes open. She set her hazy gaze upon the yellow surroundings, trying hard to focus her vision. There was a series of candles lit upon a single table that was not nearly large enough to be a desk nor small enough to be a night table. She was in a tent, that was for sure, sitting on a large cushion in the centre. Her eyes fell down upon her ankles, where a thick rope bound them together and the red rash they left from her unconscious turning. She wore no shoes and her toes wiggled in the airs as she commanded them to.

_What the hell is going on?_ Azura thought, trying to move her arms but they were bound as well, behind her back. Blinking, she felt a surge of pain move through her skull. A faint breeze rustled the entrance flaps and Azura saw that night-time was either still drifted over the sky or she had been unconscious for nearly a day. "Hello?" she wanted to say, but all she made were muffled sounds as the cloth in her mouth prevented her from speaking.

"Looks who's finally woken," a friendly voice said as a ghastly hand pushed the tent flap inward. "Oh, now look at your face. I truly am sorry, but you refused to cooperate." He stepped completely into the tent, a cloak dangling over his broad shoulders. The hood was thrown back. He had short, greasy black hair which curled around his forehead, deepening the bewitchment of his fiery eyes. His eye were haloed with dark circles, contrasting against his frost-white skin.

"Don't be frightened," he grinned casually kneeling before her. "I will not harm you until my brother returns. That man of yours, Arthur, clever boy. His aim is impeccable."

Azura stared at him, forcing her head away as he traced the bruise he gave her. The man grinned, flashing the fangs that haunted her thoughts. "You don't remember who I am, do you, Azura?" he asked curiously and pressed his thumb against the purple mark.

She winced and pulled herself further away.

"It will be ten years in two days time," the man began and rolled onto his heels as he stood. Tapping a finger to his hollow jaw, he stared down at her. "Your mother, may her spirit rest in peace, never trusted Kier and I. No, she had us thrown from the city the moment she set her pretty blue eyes on us; the same which she passed to you and your brother. How is Jaiden by the way?" He paused, seeing the pain in her eyes as the name rolled over his lips victimising. "Oh, that's right, he's buried in the ashes of your city. Azura, your mother was a clever as you were, always one step ahead. She knew of our plot right from the beginning, before we could even take our sacrifices. But we never gave up and waited for the precise moment. In two days time, the moon will cross over the sun and the sky will turn to blood."

Azura tilted her head to the side, examining the man as he rambled on about his plan. One candle blew out, followed by another, then another. As the shadows stretched across his face, a memory flashed before her eyes.

_Rain drizzled on the streets as the people of Luthrembel danced in the square as part of the city's Midsummer's Day celebration. Her mother was running for shelter, but Azura stood in the centre of the square, gazing up, into the grey clouds that poured rain upon her. As everyone ran for cover, Azura stayed still with her arms outstretched, enjoying the feeling of the cold water on her skin. There were two figures stalking toward her, each with the faint red glow she saw the night of her abduction. She could hear her mother calling for her from the palace, but she remained still, enchanted by the pull of their red eyes._

"There you go, love," he grinned, "remember that fateful night? Your mummy isn't here to save you this time."

Azura watched as he stepped away, toward the tent flaps. His eyes swept across her face as he disappeared into the darkness. The last candle blew out, casting Azura into darkness as she remembered; she knew very well who the man was.

-x-

Receiving word that she was looking for him, Merlin entered Kadian's chamber and swept his gaze cautiously across the chamber; all was safe. Kadian sat at her desk with a tall pile of books scattered across the tabletop and a quill hovering over a blank piece of parchment. "I want you to come with me," she said softly as she stood, placing the quill into the inkwell, "to the dungeons."

"You're not thinking..." Merlin protested and stepped forward as if to stop her.

"Yes, I am," Kadian nodded as she met him in the centre of the chamber. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and pecked him gently on the lips. "It would be safer to have a sorcerer with me than my father's men. I need to know who or what we're dealing with. No human could have taken Azura that fast; she can be quick when she needs to be, quicker than anyone person could imagine."

"Alright," Merlin sighed and brushed her hair from her face. She smiled softly as his warm breath cascaded upon her face gently. "You better be careful."

"I'm _always_ careful. It's you who's the clumsy one," Kadian smirked, releasing her captive, and walked around him to pull open the door. Shaking at the shrill shriek the hinge made, Merlin took Kadian's hand and followed her through the door.

-x-

The princess descended down the ghastly staircase of the dungeon's, ignoring the greetings from the posted guards who were playing cards on a flat table. She continued on her way, pulling Merlin along, and gave the guards specific orders to stay put for she would not be long. There were shadows hanging along the walls like cobwebs, slinging across the old steel bars and stone in a magnificent, intricate web. From the furthest cell, they could hear a prisoner panting heavily with exhaustion and evident lack of water.

"Stay here," Kadian instructed and continued forward. Merlin stood still, out of view of the cell, and folded his hands behind his back, impatiently twiddling his thumbs. Her plan, obscure and dangerous as it was, put a nasty, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.

She stood before the bars and gazed into cell, glancing at each of the haunting shadows that leaned against the walls. At first, she saw no one in there, only darkness, but then, as she focused on the cell, she saw a faint, ruby glow against the back wall. "Hello?" Kadian called as her thin fingers curiously curled around the bars.

"Pretty, witty princess so full with pity," the prisoner chimed as he sat forward; two torches burst into flames at her sides, sending a brilliant, orange glow into the cell. His red eyes stared up at her and his head tilted to the side. "Have you come with sustenance?"

"You will get nothing until you tell me where my friend is," Kadian retorted harshly.

"Here I am, there she is," he said as he stumbled onto his feet. The man was before her in a flash, his face fully illuminated in the orange glare of the torches. His eyes were rimmed with black circles and his flesh was white as fresh, winter snow. The strands of his hair were long and black, curling down to his chin. He coiled his cold fingers around hers, pressing his forehead against the bars. "Your smell brings forth a quell of my thirst. Two bloods needed, one taken, the other..." He cocked his head intriguingly to the side. "..._m__istaken_."

Kadian forced her body not to shiver as his chill climbed up her arms. "Who are you?" she questioned softly.

"Kier's the name which rattles this dame," the man replied, his cold lips curving into a wide smile. He flicked a finger toward her face and instinctively, she drew back. "The name of the brother is none other than shadow." His eyes drew Kadian closer until their noses nearly touched. "Second of two, your blood is untrue. With just one drop, I can make things stop."

Kier's lips pulled back. His pointed fangs reached toward her neck as it fluctuated with her rapid pulse. "Kadian!" Merlin shouted and ran forward, pulling her back before the man's fangs could puncture her smooth skin. An enchantment left his lips and the prisoner flew back against the stone wall hard and with a bone-cracking _thud_. The dagger in Kier's back, which had yet to be removed, dug deeper, inflicting the suffering that he would not be denied.

Kadian's head shook as she came back to the dungeons, eyes wide with fright. She stared at Kier's pained face as he tried to reach for Arthur's dagger to pull it from her cold flesh. Racing forward, she grasped the bars of the cell, shaking them. "You're a vampire!" she exclaimed. "Tell me what you want with Azura!"

"Two bloods need, one taken, the other... now, _shaken_," Kier riddled from his slump against the wall. "Winds screech and all you can too is beseech the dweller of shadows. You know the price, just choose right; before all is too late."

Merlin pulled Kadian away from the cell and held her in his arms as it sunk it: her life had been inches from being lost. "That's enough for now," he whispered and led her up the stairs, where the guards had been startled by their creeping steps.

-x-

Gaius sat at his bench, experimenting with his phials of multiple substances. He knew that darkness had come to Camelot, but his mind was too restless to sleep; something greater was being plotted. "What happened to her?" he gasped as the door swung inward and Merlin lead Kadian into the chamber.

He brought her to a vacant stool and stroked her back gently, trying to sooth the fright out of her.

"V-v-vampire," Kadian shuttered as she unconsciously ran her hand along the side of her neck, feeling for the invisible marks where Kier would have bitten her. "He's a vampire..."

The physician's eyes widened as his white eyebrows rose with shock. Turning to Merlin, he received the acknowledgement that he did not want and shivered subtly. It took him several seconds to recollect himself before he spoke. "What would two vampires want with Azura?" he mused, rubbing his chin unconsciously.

"He won't say, just that they need another... they need me..." Kadian shivered, rubbing her hands on her opposite arms like she was overcome by a chill.

"Merlin, get her a blanket," Gaius stated and carried his stool to be in front of her; Merlin nodded and vanished into his chamber. "Tell me everything, Kadian. We won't let them harm you."

Returning to the main room, Merlin draped a thick, warm blanket over her narrow shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chest against her back, and shared his warm as he listened to the story he witnessed.

-x-

Azura tumbled onto her stomach after nearly two hours of trying to move. She looked up from the dirt and grass that was in her face, squinting to see through the haze before her eyes; having starved and being rejected water, her head was slightly light and foggy. The cloth was still pressed against her lips, preventing her voice from expelling into the air. Her wrists and ankles had started to ache and were flushing a purple tone.

She could see a jagged stone on the opposite end of the tent that called for her to drag her self over in means of freeing her arms. _D__o__er__ ulu uns'aa lu'harventh l'chanash'gi valbylis ussta da'rex_, she thought and concentrated hard on the coarse edges and rough texture of the stone. _Doer ulu uns'aa lu'harventh l'chanash'gi valbylis ussta da'rex_.

The stone twitched and leapt into the air full of animated life as it followed her begging commands. It hovered above her and slow descended upon the tight rope binding her wrists, swinging from side to side like a pendulum until the strands were severed. As the loose strands collapsed onto the dusty ground, Azura's hands shot to the cloth in her mouth and pulled it down. She gasped for air, glad to finally be free from its foul-tasting entrapment. She felt drained of energy, the enchantment took a lot out of her, but now she could scream to the heavens in hope that someone was near enough to hear and rescue her.

The eerie sounds of snapping twigs and rustling grass forced Azura to put herself in the position she had been before she collapsed to the ground. Hesitantly, she placed the cloth between her lips and folded her hands behind her back. Her kidnapper entered the tent and slowly lit each of the cold candles on the table with a single match. His eyes turned to her, darker than before. "I swore to myself that I would not feed... until my brother had come," he said weakly, each syllable hanging on his breath. "But your exotic aroma, the sweetness that it puts on the wind, wakens my thirst."

He was on top of her now, his breath chill against her cheek. His touch was like ice as he continued to speak in a low, seductive tone as his hand caressed her soft skin. "It will only hurt... for a moment," he said, kissing her cheek and lower his lips onto her neck.

She pushed his head away with her hand. He was thrown back, against the small table holding the candles. Flames leapt onto the yellow tent fabric as she ripped the rope around her ankles and dashed from the tent before the flames could scathe her. The grass was wet beneath her bare feet and the earth moulded between her toes as she ran, throwing the cloth to the ground. Shouting for help, she raced through the cheers with the faint echo of the vampire calling for her to stop.

The moonlight kissed her face as she leapt over a fallen tree and landed without a sound. As if there was no altercation in her stride, she continued onward like a blur through the trees. However, she did not get far before she came face to face with her kidnapper again. He pressed his cold hands against her shoulders, halting her where she stood with his red eyes fixing upon her silver face. "You don't have to run," he grinned, slipping her hand through her hair to bring her head and neck closer to him.

Azura brought her knee up and caught him in the gut as his moist lips pressed against her neck again. She pushed him down and bolted forward again without glancing over her shoulder to see what damage she had caused. Before she could blink, she was soaring through the air, her feet a good three metres off the ground. The vampire jumped into the air after her, fast as lightning, and pushed her to the ground mercilessly.

_Crack!_

Her ankle snapped and an ivory bone pierced through her fair skin as she collapsed onto the earth. The back of her skull slammed against the ground last and her eyes glazed over. When she came too, several moments later, he was on top of her again, holding her still with his body weight as his hands held her down by her shoulders. "You had to make things difficult, didn't you?" he asked, lowering his face to her chest; refraining himself from sinful temptation, he moved his lips toward her neck. "Now, I have no choice but to kill you."

Adrenaline swam through her veins and with every ounce of strength, elven and not, she tossed him to the side before his teeth could sink into her neck. Despite the dire pain that shot through her entire body, she rose to her feet only to take a full body tackle from her kidnapper. His arms released her as she was thrown back by his brutality. Her feet skimmed across the damp grass until it disappeared, down a steep hill that was ridged with rocks.

Azura's hands grappled with the stones, trying to cease her movement, but little luck. The sharp edges dug into her palms as they slid over the stones, cutting her skin and coating the stones' edges with drops of blood. It seemed like ages before her back slammed against the earth and she was launched over her shoulders until she was on her stomach, gazing up at the very tip of the slope she had fallen. Her hands stung as the dew on the grass seeped into the wounds.

This was it, she could not run any more; she could not fight him. He was too strong and too delirious from thirst to see reason. His tackle alone should have damaged her enough to have killed her, breaking her ribs and cutting her innards, if the fall from the cliff had not. What magic she had left was mending her wounds, like it had when the griffin swooped into Camelot; it would only be a matter of time before her reserve ran out and left her to die from the lost of blood.

Then, a gloved hand covered her mouth and forced her to breath through her nose. Her eyes glanced to her right, seeing a glint of silver and her chest relaxed. It was Arthur.

The prince rose a finger to his lips, telling her to remain silent, and ran an inspecting hand down her aching body; his touch made her tremble, especially when his hand fell upon her bleeding, broken ankle. Nodding to himself, assuring his plan, he drew his sword and disappeared into the shadows.

The vampire stood on the top of the cliff, gazing down with dark ruby eyes. A grin was upon his chin as he leapt down with no care in the world if he stumbled over a rock or two. His feet were slow against the earth as he approached the wounded Azura. He took his hand and tilted her chin upward, setting her bright blues on his face.

The edge of Arthur's sword stretched across his throat. "Not another move," he growled, "or it will be your last."

"Arthur," the vampire grinned, releasing Azura's face and shifting his red eyes on the prince, "we haven't officially met, have we?" He chuckled. "My name is Ze'el."

"Silence," Arthur snarled and stepped out of the shadows without moving his sword.

Ze'el took in a deep breath, scenting the blood that stained the earth, and shook with pleasure. His pupils spread across his eye; there was blood on the prince, he could smell it and how close it was. The burning desire for the blood pushed him forward. The sword cut his throat as he took hold of Arthur, pinning him against the nearest tree, but Ze'el did not bleed and his flesh folded together to repair the damage.

Azura could hear Arthur gasp for air as Ze'el crushed his windpipe. The chain mail covering his body would do little against the brute strength of Ze'el, the metal was crushed along with his throat. His hand released the blade and it plummeted to the ground by his boots. "Ze'el," Azura hissed as she grinned, "you're too late. The sun has begun to rise."

Ze'el turned away from the human struggling in his grasp and to the horizon where faint rays of pink light peered over the mountains and treetops. He was gone before either of them could blink. The sun was a vampires natural enemy, first to the werewolf. If Ze'el had stayed a second longer, he would have burst into flames as the yellow gaze touched his cold skin.

"Arthur?" Azura asked softly as she watched him slide limply into a slouch against the tree. "Are you alright?"

The prince looked up at the sound of his name and rose to his feet. With quick, stiff strides, he knelt beside her. "Don't worry about me. What happened to you?"

"I've had worse," she sighed and winced as she tried to move; the attempt sent her body into small convulsions that eased before Arthur could react. "My ankle's broken. If you hadn't come when you did..."

"Shh," Arthur cooed and lifted her to be sitting; his expression waned as she trembled as he moved her. He took her hands and examined the cuts that were etched in her fingers and palm. Placing them down on her lap, he met her concerned gaze and reached up with a tender hand to caress her cheek. "You had me worried sick."

"I tried, I really did," Azura stated, slurring her words, and leaned against him. Her entire body was throbbing and she curled her fingers over her palms that bled.

"I know you did," he said tucking her hair behind her ears. "Next time you see something, we search together, do you understand me? I don't care whether your pissed off at me or what-not." When she nodded her stiff neck and her eyelids were growing heavy, he lifted her into his arms and let her head fall against his chest. He carried her without a fumble in his step and placed her on the saddle of his horse that grazed some distance away. Mounting behind her, he trapped her between his arms as he took the reins. "Just keep talking to me, we'll be home soon."

"About what?" she asked weakly.

"Tell me about... your mother. What did she look like?" Arthur answered, resting his cheek on her head. "Anything, just stay with me."

His cheek felt cold, unnaturally freezing, on the top of her head

-x-

Kadian lay awake in Merlin's bedroom. He sat beside her, rubbing his hand up and down her side comfortingly. Neither of them could sleep; Gaius was sitting awake in his chamber, anxiously await for someone to return with Azura and douse all the worry and doubt that had filed Camelot. Kadian's eyes stared out the window, at the lightening sky and the puffy clouds that moved along with the wind. There was a knot in her chest that caused her to jump at every creak and crack inside and outside the room. Merlin was trying to coax her, get her to fall asleep with the knowledge that he would stay up until she woke, but her mind was too startled to sooth.

Then, the bell echoed through the stirring city, bold and cheery. Kadian sat up and rose to her feet, pulling Merlin along with her. They ran to Gaius who had been startled by the ringing as well. He hoped it meant the same thing they did: the knights found Azura alive.

Voices erupted from the hall and a guard pushed open the door to Gaius' chamber, quickly explaining the injuries Azura had sustained. Arthur came in, holding Azura in his arms; she looked pale and barely awake, barely alive. There was blood smeared across her clothing and Arthur's mail and the red ooze was still dripping. Kadian had to look away when she saw the bone sticking out of Azura's ankle and the ghastly black and purple bruise on her face. Gaius rapidly gave Merlin many orders to get different supplies that he had placed on his bench as Arthur gently placed her on cot.

Her fingers were curled so tightly around Arthur's armour that they had to pry them off. "Don't leave me!" she pleaded, her fingers snapping back to the mail each time they were pried away. "Please!"

"Shh," Arthur cooed and took hold of her wrists tightly and placed them on her lap. "Gaius will take care of you. I will come back."

"Don't go!" Azura cried as he stepped away. She grabbed his the collar of his mail and pulled him to her. The guard took hold of her waist and tore her off of the prince.

Kadian's eyes widened as the mail stretched as Azura was dragged back; there was blood spread across her brother's neck, dried against his skin and hiding the wound that was its source. Arthur turned, despite Azura's pleas, and left the physician's chamber, moving his mail to its position against his neck.

Gaius asked the guard and Merlin to leave his chamber as he inspected Azura's ankle. Tears were swimming down Azura's face as Gaius touched her ankle and the bone that pierced the skin. "Azura, this will hurt," he stated, placing his hands on both sides of her ankle. "I must set and place a tourniquet on it before it starts to heal in the wrong place."

Azura extended her hand toward Kadian who took it without a second thought. The princess could not watch as Gaius snapped what part of the bone had begun to heal and manoeuvred the break to be aligned with its other half. Azura's grip was strong and Kadian felt like her hand was about to shatter into millions of pieces by the time Gaius lifted his hands. "Almost done," he informed. He stitched the wound made by the jagged bone and bound it in two layers of white linen bandages before setting a splint.

Kadian brushed Azura's hair from her face, watching the tears as they formed and flowed across her cheeks. Never before had she seen Azura cry with so much pain and anger in her eyes, not even on their trip to and from Luthrembel; then, the tears had been of sadness and grief. "Listen to me," she whispered hoarsely as Gaius tied the splint to her leg, "we have Kier in the dungeons. He's been rambling on about two bloods. What does he mean?"

"I-I don't kn-know..." Azura stammered between short breaths; she shut her eyes and took a long breath. "You must find Arthur. I-I think he was bitten."

"Bitten? By the other vampire?" Kadian gasped.

"Yes," Azura nodded wincing as her neck popped. "You need to heal him, get rid of the venom before it turns him. I hadn't noticed it before. You'll need to..."

"Azura!" Uther exclaimed as he ran into the chamber with open arms, cutting off her sentence. "You're alright right. We were so worried, all of us."

Gaius took hold of her hands and pressed the cuts that were etched there. They were nearly healed, but as his fingers pressed against each wound, blood oozed down into her palm.

Kadian got to her feet and said that she was going to retrieve fresh clothing for Azura. She left the chamber with one last glance at Azura as Uther asked question after question like she was a prisoner in the dungeons.

-x-

There was determination in her eyes as she walked through the corridors, avoiding all the maids and servants that were scurrying about to do as their masters had demanded. She came to her brother's chamber door and pushed the door, cursing that it was locked from the inside. "Arthur," she called, banging on the wood, "let me in."

There was nothing coming from within the chamber. She slammed her hands against the wood in hopes that it would fly open, but it remained still on its hinges. Waving her hand before the key hole, the gears shifted until the door swung inward. Kadian stepped into the chamber, the mess that it was, and gazed around, frantically, for her brother.

He was standing in front of a mirror with his chain mail and tunic resting at his feet. His eyes were shut and his hands clasped the edges of the table holding the mirror. Kadian saw the two, tiny punctures that were embedded in his neck, the ones that Azura had attempted to reveal in the physician's chamber. The blood had been cleared, but a ghastly white remained and it was spreading down his back and up the sides of his face. "Arthur?" she called, stepping toward him cautiously.

"Stay away from me," he replied hastily.

"I will do no such thing," Kadian protested as she crept closer and closer to her brother and the mirror. The alteration in his skin colour had stretched across the right side of his face. "I can stop this, you just need to trust me."

"It's too late," he growled through heavy breaths. His heart was beating profusely in his chest, stressing to continue supply blood..

"You're still breathing, it's not too late," she replied, placing a warm hand on his chilled skin. Her thin fingers traced the small holes, shivering as she remembered that she had come inches away from suffering the same fate.

Arthur whipped around and pushed her to the ground. His eyelids had parted, revealing his converted stare. The blue in his eyes was fading away and was being taken over by red pigments. He was trembling as he stood over her, eyeing the throbbing vein on the side of her neck, but he stepped back and stood in the far corner with his hands to his face.

Kadian rose to her feet and moved toward her brother, who stepped away. They played this game for several minutes, picking up speed until Kadian was running to stop her brother. Finally, she trapped him between herself and the foot of his bed. "You have to let me help you. Have you forgotten what they did Zu?" she asked sneering; the stripes of white were crawling across his chest and face. The venom, the method in which vampires made their king, brought him closer and closer to living death.

He forced her back and froze as strange, menacing words escaped her lips. "_Na therapeúteí apo to deyleteyrió_!"

A hand rose to her startled lips, the ones who had defiled the main law of Camelot. It had been nearly twenty-one years that her secret stayed a secret. Now, she had blurted out an enchantment, one meant to cure her brother of the vampyric disease spreading throughout his body. Surely, that would give her a pardon on the matter; she hoped.

Arthur stared at her, ignoring the venom that expelled from the wounds instantly on his neck from whence it was injected, burning his skin as it returned to normal. The holes vanished as his flesh pulled across them, mending the incisions. His heavy breaths relaxed, there was no need to cling to them any more. Colour returned to the white splotches on his skin. The blue flooded back into his reddening eyes until it matched the shade of the enchantress' before him.

He pointed at her accusingly. "What did you just do?" the prince shakily asked.

"I-I...er..." she stuttered through the mask her hand formed.

"Magic... that's what you did..." Arthur answered for her, finally overcoming the paralysis that had fallen on him. The poison felt hot and sticky against his fingers as he rubbed his neck. "Can I... you know..."

"You would know if you could," Kadian sighed lowering her hand cautiously. Her entire body was quaking like the floor was about to give way beneath her feet.

Arthur stayed where he had been captured. It hit him square, all the reasons for various happenings in his entire life time. The early days when Kadian mysteriously escaped from being locked behind doors-which he still enjoyed doing; the reason behind the grain sacks moving to catch Azura as she was tossed from the clutches of the griffin; and the main reason behind her aiding the druid boy when he came to the city. All the memories flickered before his eyes, the golden poultice that cured Guinevere's father and the light from the cavern the blue-eyed enchantress left him in to die; it had all been her (so he thought). How could he had been so naïve? His own sister was an enchantress, all these years and never once did he suspect her as he rode out to capture sorcerers to die in the square by the executioner's axe.

"I won't tell," Arthur said plainly as the mobility of his legs returned, "as long as you swear to _never_ use magic on me for any reason, even if I'm dying."

Kadian nodded stiffly. "I swear," she replied and sighed relieved, but even then, her beating heart did not slow. However, she thought it would have been ironic that Uther could have a vampire son and a sorceress for a daughter. "You're welcome, by the way, if it's any consolation."

There was hesitance in his voice when he thanked her, like he was unsure whether he could thank a sorcerer. A secret like this that she had kept hidden for so long was frightening. This new knowledge made him wonder what she could do with the magic; he had seen a single enchantment destroy an entire city and cure the most deathly of injuries. Throughout his life, Arthur viewed magic, all magic, as evil, like his father, but this enlightened him with an entirely different aspect. He knew his sister too well, they shared the same blood, she was far from evil and would never harm someone unless it was necessary.

As awkwardness seeped in between them, the princess turned and exited the chamber with a single glance back at her rattled brother. There was a smile upon her face. Finally, one member of her family completely understood her and it quelled the pit that it had made.

-x-

Azura was in her chamber, lying on her bed with her broken ankle elevated on a pillow. She had woken not to long ago, the weariness had consumed her and she was out so fast, Gaius thought she had died. Linen bandages were wrapped around her hands and itched as she flexed her fingers; they would be removed by the next day's night. The purple bruise on her face had already began to vanish as well and was a faint yellow colour now. She watched as Gaius checked her vitals once more.

He looked up at her. "This would be twice you've come to me like this. When someone finally manages to kill you, I may have to applaud him," Gaius smiled, pleased that her pulse was normal and she had no fever. "Get some rest and stay off your feet for the next while. I will check on you in the morning."

"You're too kind, Gaius," Azura smiled as she laughed at his joke. "Thank you."

The court physician smiled as he retrieved the supplies he had brought with him. He bid her adieu and shut the door softly behind the skirt of his navy robe. Now, the chamber went silent, glowing in the faint candlelight. Felipe had slithered off to steal some food from the kitchens and had yet to return.

"That's it, I'm bored," Azura grumbled and sat forward with a start only to be shot down by a surge of pain. She scoffed and rolled her head to the side to stare at the flickering candle on her night table. Not even the tiny flame made a sound nor did the wax the dribbled down the side.

She moved her head and gazed up at the ceiling, each subtle speck that was a different colour and the tiny dust particles that clung for their lives. Her thoughts were rabid as they clouded her mind, crossing over each other and forming an overload. Two bloods, that was what Kadian told her Kier said in the dungeons. Why two and not three or one? What could they use her blood for?

Kier and Ze'el were two very, old vampires, her mother had told her the evening they had tried to abduct her the first time, with strange ambitions. Kier was the eldest, always speaking in riddles to confuse his enemies. Ze'el was younger, but not by much. He spoke with haste and cruelty, intimidating his prey. Azura did not know whether they were real brothers, back when they were humans, but it really did not matter.

Vampire, the name brought forth many memories from the days she spent in the library of Luthrembel, with and without her mother. She had read nearly every novel among the many shelves, and she remembered something from each. Her mother had read her stories of the ancient ones, the blood-suckers that roamed the night-land, the weeks after Ze'el and Kier tried to snatch her the first time. She started from the very beginning of the vampyric time line, when the first vampire created another. _What was her name?_ she asked her mind as the words that were on the pages swam before her eyes. Whoever _she_ was, she was the mother of the entire vampire race. _If only I had the book... Geoffrey has it... It's _all _the way on the other side of the castle... Gaius would sense that I was on my feet, he's strange like that..._

Azura sighed and ran a hand through her hair, combing through the knots in place of her comb, which was resting on the desk just on the other side of the chamber. Slowly, she pushed herself up, into a sitting position. Her ankle jerked slightly as the top half of her moved, but there was no pain which relieved her. She sighed again, aggravated that she was confined to not only her chamber, but the very bed she sat on for at least three days before her magic healed her ankle well enough to put weight on the bones, even then one wrong step would shattered the mended tissues and muscles. It had not occurred to her how much the ointments Gaius slabbed on the wound itched. Her stiff back would not allow her to reach forward and scratch it, even then, Gaius would strongly recommend avoiding doing so to prevent wound irritation or what not; the physician had given her a lecture once the King had left to spread the word that she was well.

There was a soft knock on her door and she turned her head to look at it. Did someone honestly expect her to walk over and pull it open for them? "I think its open," she called with a laugh.

The wooden door slowly creaked open hauntingly. Arthur stepped into the chamber and lifted his eyes off the floor to meet her bright stare. "You're not going to bite me, are you?" Azura asked humorously as the prince shut the door behind him.

"Oh, you're funny," Arthur grumbled, clearly unamused, and crossed the chamber to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I thought so," she smiled, tilting her head to the side. He stared at her and she gazed back, letting silence slip in between them. Azura could tell that his mind was troubled, therefore impairing his ability to start a conversation, but, suddenly, he began to laugh and leaned close to kiss her gently on the cheek.

"Well, not until you're better," Arthur grinned and brought his legs onto the bed so he could sit beside her.

She took his chin with a soft hand and made him look straight into the sternness of her blues. "Don't you ever, _ever_ keep secrets from me, Arthur Pendragon," she hissed; she did not care that he winced at her grip. "I don't like them, and you're lucky your father doesn't know, nor will he ever." Her voice was harsh and her intimidating stare endorsed her words.

Arthur sighed and took her hand in his, lowering it from his face. He held it tightly and kissed her cheek again. "I'm sorry," he said softly and received an accepting nod when he paused. "How did you know?"

"You grew cold." Azura glanced at his neck where the two marks had been, it was its normal colour.

"Not that."

"Oh. It's a long story."

"Tell me. No secrets, remember."

"On our trip to Luthrembel, I caught her using magic, well... more like allowed her to. I just knew," Azura explained, leaving out as much detail as she could. Flinching, she forced herself to sit up further. Arthur made an attempt to have her lay back, but she brushed his hand away. "I get this feeling when I'm around magic; its a complicated feeling. I-I don't know if I can explain it."

"Try."

Azura thought for a moment, raking her brain for the proper terms that would avoid telling him that half of her was elven. "It's a warm, occurring feeling. It's like feeling the presence of someone that is not there, or ever was. Other times, it's a chilling, erratic sensation, like walking in a graveyard alone under a full moon. I don't know if you understand. It's an out-of-place feeling."

"It's like that when I'm around you," Arthur said sweetly, unconsciously even, as he tucked the strands of her hair behind her ears.

Her heart sunk into the depths of her chest; if she had slanted ears, he would have realized what he just said, but still, he was oblivious. "That's different," she said quickly in one breath. "Being an enchantress and being me are completely different. Emotions are affiliated with magic, so I think."

Arthur chuckled slightly. "Sounds about right," he smiled, kissing the top of her head before rising to his feet. "Do you need anything?"

"A new ankle," Azura grinned.

"You're cute," he sighed. "Seriously."

"Yeah, there's a book in the library. Geoffrey will know which one it is; it's on vampires," Azura replied with a grin. "I want to do a bit of research. Something Kadian said got me thinking."

"Alright," Arthur nodded and went to the door, reaching for the doorknob. He glanced at her again and smiled. "I'll be back soon. Father'll want a word."

"See you later, then."

-x-

Kadian pulled open her chamber door, leaving it open as she stormed inside. The walls seemed grey even with the pale yellow light seeping in through the curtains. Her hands were trembling still, the enchantment she said spiralling through her thoughts like a ghost. She had decided to take a walk around the palace to calm her mind, but the constant greetings and bowing from the servants caused her to twitch and she retired to her chamber. Merlin had not been present in the physician's chamber when she went by, which frustrated her slightly and sent her nerves off in even more directions. He needed to know what happened, both about Arthur nearly turning into a leech and about her mishap in blurting out a spell. Gaius could never find out, he would start on a boring lecture that would make Kadian wish that she was never born.

The princess sat on her bed and fell backwards, reaching for the fluffy pillow that watched from its place against the head board. She pressed the pillow down, upon her face, to drown out the sounds of her resented screams. Her cries faded once every ounce of air had escaped her lungs, leaving her breathless, and tossed the pillow away from her face. This brought her down to the level of every sorcerer her brother had encountered. It was no doubt that he could piece together all happenings to her, especially the ones that could not be explained.

"Kadian?" a soft voice asked from the doorway, which had been opened without her knowing.

Merlin flinched as she jumped to her feet, ready to defend herself verbally and physically if necessary. Each of her tense muscles relaxed as her uneasy eyes fluttered onto Merlin's startled face. Gaius had told him that she had been looking for him.

"Merlin, I need to tell you something..." Kadian sighed, sitting back on her bed and running a trembling hand through her blonde hair. He went over to her and took a seat beside her, slinging an arm across her back and pulling her close to him.

"What is it?" he asked when she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Kadian went to speak, but her voice was too soft for Merlin to hear. She paused before repeating herself and pressed her eyelids firmly together as she succumbed. "I've been found out," she whispered as footsteps passed by the chamber door.

The young warlock's eyes widened and he released her. "What? How?" he demanded, forcing his voice to stay calm, despite the worry and fury that boiled within him.

"He had been bitten, Merlin," Kadian said, locking her blue gaze with his widened eyes. "I didn't mean to. He was changing so fast and wouldn't let me help. It was a complete accident."

"Who's _he_?" Merlin asked, clenching his jaw tightly.

"My brother," Kadian admitted with a sigh, rising to her rattled feet again to start pacing the bedside. "I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let him turn into that thing in the dungeons. I'm sorry, Merlin."

A soft sighed escaped his lips as he let his fury vanish. If it had been anyone else, like a knight or even Uther, his anger would not have left so easily. Her reasons supported her actions, sure enough, but doing so could have cost her her life. "What's going to happen when something involving magic happens in Camelot and the knights and guards can't find the source? Is Arthur _really_ going to keep this between you and him?" he questioned, slipping his fingers through his shaggy, dark hair.

"He has to," Kadian grinned. "I'm his sister. If he turns me in he'll be accused of having magic too. Besides, he _knows_ that I would never do anything to harm Camelot."

Merlin nodded as he took a deep breath, taking in everything she had explained. If the vampires had never come to Camelot and taken Azura, none of this would have happened; Kadian's secret would still be locked and neither of them would be in this situation. "Then, we must be more careful, from now on," he said, rising to his feet, and held his arms open for her.

She took the invitation and rested her head against his chest, her arms embracing him as he embraced her. Magic was a burden in more ways than it was a blessing, especially in Camelot. What was the point of having the ability if it could not be used to help the people you care about the most?

-x-

Sunset peered over the horizon, its bright stare staining the sky orange and red. Clouds took the shade of smoke as the window blew them across the sky, over the palace of Camelot where Uther Pendragon stood upon the balcony attached to the throne chamber. The crown on his temple glistened in the dying light, blinding anyone who gazed upon it with awed eyes.

The king looked out, across his city, streets and land, remembering the chaos that maimed them nearly twenty-one years ago. Magic had been evil then, and it was still evil to him now. Below his scrutiny, several servants and guards layered branches around a towering, malignant stake. The wood was enveloped in shadows as the day's light left its broad face. In the early hours of the morning, just as the sun began to rise, a vampire would be restrained against it; facing the feared fate of the sun' s scowl.

Within the walls of the king's palace, the prince roamed through the corridors once he had finished speaking with his father about the method of Kier's execution, which Arthur nearly begged to do himself, but was denied the pleasing opportunity. He headed for the library to collect the book that Azura asked him to get, the one about vampires. Each time the word vampire was said or entered his thoughts, Arthur shivered as if his skin was turning cold and death was at his door.

Arthur pushed open the oak doors, sending dust flying into the air as he proceeded inside. The chamber was lined with several grand, walnut bookcases on which many leather-bound tomes, scrolls and texts on various subjects. It had been a while since Arthur had stepped foot in the library, the last time he recalled being there was during his schooling. Cobwebs were perched in the corners and slung across the bookshelves like vines would trees. In the far back of the chamber, in the centre of the bookcases, stood an oak desk with a large text laid open on its surface. Behind the desk sat Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court genealogist and keeper of the library, with an owl-feather quill in hand as he scribbled notes onto a piece of parchment to his right.

Geoffrey gazed up at the prince and a curious smile stretched across his face. "Looking for something, sire?" he asked, placing the quill in the ink well.

Arthur approached the desk. "Yes," he stated, "Azura asked me to get some book on vampires. She said you'd know which one."

The smile upon the old man's face grew as his eyes brightened at the mention of Azura. "Ah, yes, yes," Geoffrey said, rising to his weary legs and walked around his desk and to the front-most bookcase on the right. "Methinks, it is... ah." His hand skimmed across a black spine, rimmed with gold. Under his breath, he read the name written on the side before removing it from the shelf. It was average size with about four centimetres worth of pages. "Here you are, sire," he said, placing the text in Arthur's hand, which tucking it underneath the prince's arm. "Tell the wonderful lady that I hope she will be well soon."

"I will, thank you," Arthur nodded and left the library. The prince made his way up the stairs and down the corridor. He passed Merlin along the way, giving him a task to do before the manservant disappeared down the stairs without acknowledging he had heard. It had not occurred to him that Kadian's chamber was next to Azura's, never had he made an effort to know. His hand rasped against the sealed door to Azura's chamber and pushed it open at the welcome of her soft voice that barely penetrated through the wood.

She smiled at him as he came in with the text tucked under his arm. "Ah, something to keep me from insanity for a while," she said, taking the book from his possession and resting it on her lap gently with no pain. The cover flew back as her hand flipped to the beginning. The print was fairly large, but not large enough to read from a distance.

Arthur took a seat beside her and lifted the text onto his own lap, telling her that he would read it to her. And so he did, ignoring her as she corrected his pronunciation on names and words like asphyxiation and pestilential. Azura listened to his voice, being soothed even as he read the gruesome tales of the ancient vampires and their creator: Lylith. She was portrayed as having long, black hair and red eyes that cut through the dark air like a knife with skin as pale as the moon and cold as snow. It was said that she roamed the several centuries ago, reeking havoc on the citizens of the ancient Albion.

Lylith, queen of the vampire race, drank the blood of many creatures, human, elven, dwarf and even animals when the time called for it for three centuries before a human confronted her. This human was named Ginsle, a brave knight who served as the King's right-hand. He became the first vampire slayer as he rode through village after village and kingdom after kingdom. Ginsle scoured the land through is youth and old age until he found the vampire queen, in a magnificent cathedral many leagues east of where Camelot now stood. The windows were said to have glowered purple when the full-moon stared into the centre of the cathedral and the shadows hissed things into Ginsle's ears as he approached.

Vampyrism, the belief that vampires were the superior race and the protectors of the earth from hell, had been taken up by many at that age (hence giving the building the classification as cathedral). Humans worship Lylith as a god and brought her sacrifices each full-moon to, what the worshippers called, the Cathedral of Válnak. The sacrifices were young virgins of a unique taste, rare to be found wandering the lands. Some virgins were sorcerers, hybrids, pixies, and faeries; it was said that Lylith had the pleasure of feasting on a maenad and was able to manipulate her worshippers to dance amok and drink until the liquor poisoned them.

"_During one, fateful night, under the full-moon_," Arthur read with Azura leaning against him, "_Ginsle entered the dark, vacant cathedral. The placed reeked of blood and old, rotten flesh. He gazed around, basking in the purple light that reflected off a slab of iris marble which lay in the dead middle of the chamber. Lylith was waiting for him and rose from her seat upon a gold and diamond throne. Their brawl raged throughout the night, Ginsle's blood never touched the floor of the cathedral, only the stale blood of Lylith. When the sun rose into the sky the next morning, Ginsle emerged from the cathedral and held the queen's head for all to see before it erupted into flames as the sun touched it. Against the raging wind, a voice cried: 'One day, you will all see, my queen shall reign again under shining Luna.'_"

"_It is said that when two unique tastes are presented, she will arise from her ashes and take a new host,"_ Arthur concluded, hiding the horror in his eyes, as Azura reread the last paragraphs on the page.

"Of course," Azura said, gazing out, at the now darkened sky. It made sense why she had been taken by Ze'el and Kier in the first place: they wanted her blood to sacrifice.

"What?" Arthur asked, shutting the book softly to avoid damaging the binding. "Is that why they took you? For a sacrifice?"

Azura turned to him. "Well, it does fit," she nodded and shrugged. "I mean, who else would be _that_ stupid to abduct me?"

"What is in your blood that a vampire queen would like? By the myths, you'd have to be something of magic," Arthur said with a hint of suspicion in his voice; he stared at her quizzically, studying her face for something that he would have never seen before.

"Well, we both know I'm not magic," Azura mumbled, trying to keep her voice soft, "My father always said I could heal quicker than most. But, maybe Kier and Ze'el just want to get back at my mother, I don't know."

Arthur chuckled and sat up. He had leaned back against the pillows until he was lying down, with her next to him. "Well, what ever their reason, you're home now and safe. That's what matters," he kissed her cheek as he, stiffly, swung his feet over the edge and rose to his feet.

"Get going, you," Azura grinned, swiping the book from his grasp before he could place it out of her reach. "Your father will be waiting, and dawn's not too far away."

"Can I come back later?" Arthur asked with a pleading look.

Azura laughed. "You don't have to ask," she said, leaning toward him to treat him to a kiss on the lips. "I can't lock the door from here."

With a smile and hesitant steps, Arthur left her chamber, shutting the door behind him softly. He walked passed his sister's chamber, hearing nothing but the wind that howled inside through an open window on the other side of the sealed door.

-x-

Kadian sat in her chamber before the open window, hearing footsteps outside her door which set her nerves off. She wished Merlin would come back, and stay with her until she knew that nothing was going to happen to her and Arthur would not go back on their deal. Having magic had never frightened to her before, even when she watched her father execute sorcerer after sorcerer in the square.

Her eyes were upon the stake that towered over the shadows cast by the flickering torches. Already, citizens of her father's city had gathered to await Kier's execution. The vampire's riddled words were cycling in her mind, replaying as she analysed them for deeper meanings. She knew that she was named their second target, but surely their plans to abduct her had changed when Azura ran from Ze'el's grasp and returned to Camelot thanks to Arthur. Still, Kadian did not want to fall asleep that night: Ze'el was still at large, even with his brother scheduled for execution the minute the sun peered over the horizon.

-x-

It was not long until King Uther stepped out onto the balcony, wrapped in a maroon cloak fringed with fur. His age really showed as the shadows contrasted the light that fell upon his face. Several of his court members stood at his sides, eagerly waiting to bed sent to their chambers to retire for a few hours, at the most, before they were to start their work. Kadian recognized Gaius among the people around her father, and she wondered why he had come. Arthur soon appeared to Uther's right, gazing enviously at the stake on which the vampire would burn.

Kadian had struggled to listen as Arthur read from the book he obtained from Geoffrey, but several of the passages had been muffled by the wall separating the two chambers. While the doors leading to the dungeons opened, Kadian rose to her feet and gripped the windowsill tightly. Kier's arms were bound behind his back with several guards to his sides, either holding him or escorting him to the stake that called to him. The vampire looked up with his weary ruby eyes, setting them on the shadowy face of the princess. His lips curved into a grin as the men led him onto the layers of branches and bound his entire body to the stake. The curls of his dark hair formed ringlets down to his chin, that pull away as a harsh wind blew Uther's voice toward him.

"The creature before you is guilty of conspiring against the kingdom of Camelot and taking hostage a member of the royal household. By our laws, that alone would merit certain death," Uther addressed, gazing out at the wandering eyes of the gathered. "The existence of this creature, by name vampire, in this kingdom justifies such a penalty. When the sun-"

"Arrogant stooge, you are such a scrooge. The deed is yet to come undone, as the end has just begun. All the second does is wait lonely in the tower, but will the king take the bait?" Kier spoke, letting the firelight glint off his curved fangs.

_Bait?_ Kadian thought as the commotion in the square died down as they awaited the king's reply. _You mean this is just a diversion?_

"You stand there, with a glare, trying your hardest to be aware. But you will fail, you mortal infidel," Kier laughed, staring up at Uther with bright red eyes. "Where is she? There she is with old brother Ze'el. Ah, the scent which lingers comes from all the bleeders."

A high-pitched scream rang through Camelot, arousing panic within the gathered. Uther ordered his son to go, and without a second thought, Arthur disappeared into the palace, gripping the hilt on his belt, ready to draw his sword in a moment's notice. The king stared down at the vampire, watching as he grinned like a Cheshire cat. Kier scented the air like an animal and his red eyes grew dark and his muscles tightened and quaked.

The ropes snapped and Kier stepped onto to the stone ground, the branches fracturing under his weight. He took hold of a scrambling person among the crowd which ran for sanctuary in their houses. His teeth sunk into his neck, but his eyes stared up at Uther, who flinched as his prisoner broke free from his entrapment. Blood poured down the back of his throat, quenching the raging thirst in the pit of his stomach and replenishing his energy he lost during his days in the dungeon.

The limp corpse collapsed to the ground with a loud _thud_. Kier stared up at Uther before he leapt to stand on the balcony railing. His hand curved around the rail as he crouched low before the king like he was bowing. The king's guards stepped forward with their swords drawn and pointed at the vampire who leaned closer and closer to Uther.

"Brother, we must take leave!" A voice shouted from on top of the gates. "The sun, it won't wait any longer!"

"Shadow makes a call," Kier sighed, straightening his legs as he stood. "Farewell, good sir, be well." The shade of his eyes lightened as he leapt away, into the lightening darkness of dawn.

-x-

Arthur raced up the winding staircase and saw the door to Azura's chamber swaying in the shrill breeze. He peered inside as saw nothing and no one, but he did hear, however, soft cries coming from the next chamber. Cautiously, he stalked forward and drew his sword as he approached the door. It was slightly ajar and the prince extended the tip of his blade into his sister's chamber, gazing at the reflection on the steel.

All was clear. Gently, he pushed the door open with a twist of his wrist. The cries grew louder as his footsteps echoed against the walls. He stalked around the bed, waiting to strike down the vampire from the woods, the one who had bitten him. His sword clashed against the ground when his eyes fell upon Azura who sat against the side of the bed, her hand caressing her broken ankle, it was bleeding again. Her face was red and she looked up at him once the clanging stopped. "I tried to stop him," she said, beckoning him forward with her hand. "He took her, Arthur. Kadian's gone."

Merlin raced into the chamber, fists clenched at his side which uncoiled when he saw Arthur lifting Azura to her feet. "Where is she?" he growled.

"Ze'el took her, Merlin," Azura sighed wincing as her toes touched the floor. "I'm sorry."'

"I should have been here, but _no_," Merlin growled, pointing a finger at Arthur. "You just had to tell me to do this and that and make sure this was perfect. If this is anyone's fault, it's your own."

"Watch it, Merlin," Arthur went to say, but Merlin had already raced from the chamber, stalking down the corridors and into the scattered streets.

-x-

Uther paced in his throne chamber, his hand running through the short hair on his head. First the vampires took Azura, now they abducted his daughter. He had sent the knights, minus Arthur, out into the wood to search for Kadian. He should have seen this coming, that Ze'el would interfere with his plans, but no, he was blinded by his ambition to rid evil from his kingdom. Kier's voice rang in his ears, every puzzling riddle and annoying rhyme. None of it made sense to him. The city had been locked down and the gates were heavily guarded with nearly every able soldier.

The king looked up as Arthur came in with the eldest knights at his heels, followed by the court physician. "What news is there?" Uther asked, shifting his annoyed stare onto them.

"None, father," Arthur sighed. "No tracks, just like before."

"This doesn't make any sense," Uther grumbled, stalking toward them. "Twice, these creatures slip passed you and have taken a lady of the royal household. You must have missed something."

"There is nothing there to miss, sire," Arthur argued.

"They're not looking in the right place, my lord," A soft voice said from the back of the chamber, behind all present. Azura leaned in the door way, favouring her left leg while her right was lifted slightly off the floor. "Kier and Ze'el follow the book and won't stray from it now." She limped closer until she could lean on a chair. "Arthur, you know what I'm talking about. They want to resurrect the queen of the entire vampire race and the only place to do that is at the Cathedral of Válnak."

Uther gazed up at her, seeing the way she masked the pain that shot through her. "That's nothing more than a myth, one we have no time for," he said.

Azura tilted her head to the side. "Two vampires steal your daughter and you won't even bother to listen to the only logical reason behind her abduction and my own," she replied harshly; she did not flinch when he set a dark stare upon her. "As the myth goes, the ritual needs light from the full-moon, the purple marble on which Lylith ashes touched and two worthy bloods of sacrifice, not to mention a new host."

Uther's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he crept closer to her, noting the agreement in his son's eyes. "If what you say is true," he said, causing her to look away at his tone, "where is this _Cathedral of Válnak_?"

"Miles to the east," she informed. "If I had a map, I could easily narrow the area."

Nodding, Uther motioned for one of the servants standing in the wings of the room get her a map. The knights looked over her shoulder as she took a quill and drew the best route to the east of Camelot, through the wood and to the right of the drawing of mountains on the parchment. She drew a circle, possibly about the size of a shilling. "There," she nodded, rolling the map and placing it in Arthur's hand. "Bring her back safely, Arthur."

Gaius took her firmly by the arm and pulled her from the room, scolding her for her ineptness of staying off her broken ankle. He led her into his chamber and sat her down, forcing her to place her ankle on a stool, and turned to see if Merlin had returned to his chamber. The young warlock was tossing some of the magical artefacts he had collected from the happenings around Camelot into a sack, the Sidhe staff being one. "Merlin, where do you think you're going?" Azura heard Gaius question him.

"You can't stop me," Merlin growled. "I'm the only one who can stop them. I heard what Azura said to the king. Kadian has 'til midnight or she's going to be lost forever. I just can't have that, Gaius. We promised that nothing bad was going to happen to her once Kier named her, and you want to know what? We failed!"

"Merlin, this is not the way to go about this," Gaius protested. "Do you even know a thing about vampires? Like how to destroy them for one?"

"I'm sure I'll figure something out, Gaius. I always do," Merlin replied and slung the sack over his shoulder, pushing passed the physician. He reached for the doorknob, but turned at the sound of Azura's voice.

"Merlin," she said, calm as still water, "don't be fool. There's no magic around that can destroy the undead, believe me."

"Then what do you suppose I do?" Merlin snapped, whipping around to face her. "It'll take all day just to get there."

Sighing, Azura placed her elevated foot on the floor, feeling the coolness that touched the surface. "We have no time to hire a slayer, nor a werewolf, so we'll have to go old-fashioned. In my trunk, there's a frosted phial with a black sun drawn on it. Inside is captured sunlight, a very rare thing to come about; it's a wonder how my mother obtained it. If you use it before the ritual is complete, you can kill, technically re-kill, all the gathered vampires."

"And you're suggesting this now?" Merlin asked, dropping the sack on the floor.

"I haven't actually been here to suggest it, Merlin. Besides, what I am to do? Stroll up to Uther and say: 'here, sire. This is a magical container filled with sunlight that can destroy vampires'?" Azura sighed, running a bandaged hand through her thin hair. "It will work, Merlin. Make sure you are unseen by the knights. Noble as your intentions are, you'll be hung for sorcery. Take my horse, Starlust. She's the fastest horse alive and will get you to the Cathedral before Arthur and the knights."

"That's comforting," Merlin grumbled and ran from the room, leaving the sack on the floor.

"Elevate that ankle, Azura," Gaius ordered as he crossed the room to pick up Merlin's belongings that he dropped on the floor carelessly.

-x-

Merlin pushed open the door to Azura's chamber, successfully slipping through the corridors unseen. He threw open the lid of the trunk and rummaged through the mess inside until he found the frosted phial with a black sun painted on it. _This is it_, he thought, not bothering to shut the lid before racing from the chamber to retrieve Azura's horse from the stables.

At first glance, Merlin thought he was standing before a unicorn by the way her hair glistened in the sunlight like diamonds and the brightness of her white coat. He saddled Starlust quickly and mounted. She dashed forward as his heels dug into her sides, faster than any horse he had ridden before. Merlin kept his head low as the horse raced through the barrier of guards at the gates.

-x-

Dirt was kicked into the air as Starlust leapt over a fallen tree, and she landed with a soft thud, continuing forward again. Merlin held on to the phial tightly, not wanting it to slip from his hand and shatter that last hope for saving Kadian.

The sunlight dipped in the sky, painting flames across it and coating the clouds in a musky grey It had taken all day, like he had a said and he had yet to come across the cathedral. The greenery was thick around him, entwined with large, brown trees and vibrant flowers. There was an ominous scent on the wind, one that screamed death. He knew he must be close, he had to be.

Starlust slowed to a trot, flipping her mane to dangle on the opposite side. The trees began to thin as the sun started to dip behind the mountains to the west and there was still no sign of the cathedral. Merlin yawned, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "Perhaps I went in the wrong direction..." he said to himself, pulling back on the reins to stop the horse's progression.

Merlin looked about, scanning the tops of the trees for some notion that the cathedral was nearby. Then, he saw it: the tip of a tower, sharp as a razor blade, reaching far higher than any tree in the area. Starlust galloped toward the tower and stop dead in her hooves, gazing up at the cathedral. Merlin followed the horse's gaze, completely awestruck by its immense size. The walls were of smooth, dark-grey stone which was smeared with shadows and centuries old blood. Even with the sun's stare directly upon it, the cathedral looked lonely with its jagged edges and ashen windows. Behind the doors, there were large, arched ceilings lined with magnificent stained-glass windows and Gothic chandeliers and rows of pews where the vampire worshippers would sit before the purple marble slab on which the queen's ashes would be lain for the ritual.

The young warlock took one last look at the giant, circular window that was mantled before the entrance, cut by black steel that curved into drooping flowers and spider webs, and pulled Starlust away from the cathedral. He tied the reins around a tough tree and held the frosted phial in his hand, watching as the colour faded away as the sun vanished behind the mountains. He patted the horse's snout before racing back to the cathedral and entering through a small passage on the eastern wall. There were torch post along the high walls, each sparking to life with a hiss as he passed.

He climb a flight of marble stairs to the upper levels until he reached the highest. To his left, he could see the centre, where the pews were in line with each other staring at the purple marble slab by the alter. A golden statue stood to the left of the marble, taking the figure of a thin woman with hair that flowed around her, covering her flesh from the watching eyes. Merlin stared out across the cathedral, feeling the cool breeze as it swept in through the parted windows and cracks in the building. The sky had begun to darken, faster than Merlin ever believed.

"Come on now, don't be shy. This isn't the only way to die," a voice chuckled as the doors to the cathedral parted.

"Think of it as an honour, to be of some worth to the most superior race in the world," a second voice echoed through the vacant halls. "Ah, look. Our witnesses are arriving just on time."

Merlin watched as vampire after vampire appeared in the cathedral, each physically different except for the alluring red eyes. Ze'el and Kier were in the front and between them was Kadian, her face concealed by a black bag which they had placed over her. Merlin could hear her aggravated cries to be set free, followed by muffled enchantments that could not penetrate her captors. The two vampires were too strong for her to break away from and she was dragged forward, despite her attempts to use her dead weight. Merlin suppressed his urge to scream for them to let her go, but he held his tongue. Sure, he had instant sunlight in his hand, but there were many more vampires to come, who would surely take him out the second he made a run for it.

He took his red scarf and pulled it over his nose as he glanced away from the filling hall. The sky was black and the moon was rising over the hills to the east. Merlin knew the knights would be arriving soon, if they were not stationed around the cathedral already. The voices of the gathered vampires were loud, somewhat obnoxious, as they insulted every part of Kadian, especially being human. Merlin's eyes were on Ze'el and Kier, who bound Kadian to the purple marble with black chains. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyes screaming for help as Kier placed a cloth in her mouth. At one point, Merlin thought she had spotted him, but it was clear she had not when she turned her head away and closed her eyes.

-x-

Outside the cathedral, Arthur dismounted his horse, patting its flank as he turned to his knights which did the same. The prince rolled the map Azura had written on and placed it inside one of the saddlebags. He looked up at the rising moon, catching its silver gleam. There was a cold wind that howled through the thinning trees, which Arthur paid no mind to since the wind felt warm compared to his skin when Ze'el had bitten him. "On me," he whispered to his knights as he turned toward the cathedral, examining the way the moonlight painted the walls and windows. What the myth said was true: a purple glow radiated from the windows at the moon's stare.

Arthur drew his sword and grinned as the knights did the same, the steel ringing like a symphony of chimes. They stalked into the shadows, staying low to the ground, and approached the cathedral.

-x-

Out of the corner of his eyes, Merlin saw a glint of steel against a row of bushes. His attention was swept away by the silencing of the many voices within the cathedral, echoed by the rumble of the doors shutting.

"Brethren," Ze'el bellowed, standing before Kadian and the vampires, "tonight, the moon smiles upon us; and tomorrow, the world shall be in our hands." The hall filled with high screeches from the parted lips of every vampire in the cathedral. The sounds were ear-shattering as a wolf's death song. "The scent which lingers in this fine air is nothing more than the knights of Camelot. What you must do is prevent the inferior from preventing the resurrection of the superior. Now, we begin. Bring forth the ashes of my queen."

Merlin watched as the vampires stalked forward like ravenous animals, their long fingernails bared alongside their curved fangs. In the cup made of cold hands, Kier emerged from the centre of the crowd as it parted to two sides. The screams grew louder and the eager vampires jumped up and down like a band of baboons. Moon light dripped into the centre of the cathedral, following Lylith's ashes as they approached the marble on which Kadian was bound.

Her eyes met Kier's as his cup of ashes parted and the smoked ash cascaded upon Kadian's stomach. She tried to free herself from the bindings, but there was no use, the chains were too tough. Her breaths, as rapid as they were, could not move the ashes from her stomach which stayed firm like they were glued to the blue fabric of her dress.

"Bring forth blood of the first sacrifice," Ze'el demanded raising a pale hand toward Kadian as she struggled to free herself, "of the ever so allusive, elven half-breed, Azura Lightwing." The vampires began to hiss like startled vipers, their voices overlapping like different-pitched waves.

Kier vanished and walked down the aisle again. This time, there was a small phial in his hand; inside was a thick, crimson liquid that pulled the vampires toward it. Kier stood above Kadian, his left hand removed the cork from the top of the phial while his right tipped the container. Azura's blood poured from the phial, onto the ashes of the vampire queen. Smoke rose from the ashes and released a foul, deathly aroma into the chill air.

"CHARGE!" Arthur's voice ordered as the cathedral doors swung inward, knocking several vampires off their feet. The knights of Camelot charged into the hall, each meeting a demon in combat.

"Blood of the second sacrifice," Ze'el continued, his voice ringing above the chaos on the opposite end of the cathedral. His red eyes stared out, watching his kind being cut in half and maimed by the silver swords wielded by the knights of Camelot. The vampires pulled their limbs together and the wounds healed quickly before the knights could move on to another enemy.

Kier removed a dagger from the concealment of his black cloak and slid the blade across Kadian's cheek. The smoke rising from the ashes changed to a scarlet red as the ashes caught fire, burning the flesh beneath the blue fabric, as her blood trickled down the sides of her face.

Kadian's muffled screams of agony and pain forced Merlin's hand to fly to the cork of the instant sunlight. He had to use it now, before she was taken as a host. He could hear the clanging of mail against the cold, stone floor of the cathedral. Arthur broke free from the mass of vampires that swarmed the knights the second they burst through the door. His sword was tainted with black ooze, the dead blood of the vampires, but there was no time to clean the blade.

Purple light illuminated the entire cathedral; the moon was at its peak, directly above the cathedral. Every vampire raised their arms to the night sky, their black cloaks lifting off the floor as their screeches shook the pillars. The golden statue cracked down the middle and fractured off into millions of splinters until it shattered into gold dust, which fluttered upon Kadian's face. The scarlet smoke consumed the burning ashes and spiralled in the air, taking form of the shattered statue. It twisted in to the wavy, curled locks of the vampire queen, moulded together to form her hourglass figure.

"Stop!" Arthur ordered as Kier turned and disarmed him within half a second. Kier's cold hand coiled around his throat, squeezing the life out of the prince.

"My queen, my love," Ze'el said, stepping away from the alter and approaching the smoke figure of Lylith, who stared back at him with ghastly eyes, "your new body awaits. I regret that there is no second option, but this one is special: a sorceress born from two non-magics." His hand motioned toward Kadian, who struggled and thrashed her head from side to side, screaming enchantments in her mind in hope that they would end this suffering.

Lylith's hazy eyes shifted upon Kadian whom she levitated above. "_Beth plentyn prin, pobl ifanc a hardd. A tywysoges, beirniadu gan y ffordd ei gwaed cipio gwobr yng ngoleuni fioled. Rydych chi wedi gwneud yn dda_," she spoke, placing a grin upon Ze'el chin.

Merlin pulled the cork from the phial, shutting his eyes as the yellow light erupted from the depths of the frosted glass. With one powerful movement of his arm, he threw the phial over the railing. His body trembled at the screams of the vampires that burst into flames, their cold skin melting off their old bones and their red eyes taking their last sight of the world.

Arthur felt Kier's hand release his throat, then rise before his eyes in means to shield him from the blinding light. He watched as Kier's stone-cold flesh broke away, into ash and scattered across the floor. Lylith turned her head toward the upper levels of the cathedral, eyeing the cringing warlock that hid in the shadows. Her smoky form was pierced by the light, like sharp knives, over and over again until she departed from the land once again. Ze'el trembled as he crouched over, trying to shield himself from the sunlight.

Kadian turned her head to gaze at Ze'el, grinning as his cold flesh pulled off his bone and fragment off into ash. His red eyes were the last to burst into ash, they stared up at her and for the first time since these events began, Kadian could see the humanity inside him, the side that was lost many, many years ago. The light grew brighter and Kadian was forced to seal her eyes away until the shrieking ceased and only the hiss of the wind rang through the cathedral corridors.

Blood was splattered across the floor with ash rolling across the carnage that had ended. The knights let their shields fall to the ground and their swords seek sanctum in their sheaths. Bits of mail reflected the yellow light as it faded away, into the purple of the stain-glass windows. Arthur and the knights gazed up, at the full-moon as the violet rays turned to silver. Only the prince saw the red scarf that slipped from view on the top-most floor of the cathedral. The silence stay still, even as the mail clanged when the knights rose to their feet to check for injuries.

Arthur ran over to his sister, his feet silent against the stone floor. He undid the chains binding her wrists, ankles and waist, being embraced within the same second the metal clashed into Ze'el remains. "Thank you," Kadian whispered in his ear, staring up at ceiling and catching a glimpse of the red scarf, nothing more, nothing less. _Merlin_, she thought which placed a soft smile on her face.

-x-

It was passed dawn by the time news spread through the palace that the knights had reached the gates with the princess. Merlin had entered the city mere minutes ago and slipped into the physician's chamber by means of the secret passages into the castle. Gaius had been restless that evening, pacing his chamber and twitching at every voice coming from the corridor. He smiled as Merlin entered his chamber, pulling the red scarf from his neck and tossing it out of view. "Merlin, you did it," Gaius smiled, embracing his nephew.

"Yeah, I did," Merlin nodded, patting Gaius' back. "Gaius?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"Can you stop choking me?"

"I'm sorry," Gaius laughed, releasing his surprisingly strong grasp on Merlin. "Get changed, you look terrible."

With a soft chuckle, Merlin disappeared into his bedroom, avoiding being seen by the knights that escorted Kadian into Gaius' chamber. The slice on her cheek had already scabbed. Her dress was stained with her blood, Azura's blood, and the ashes of Lylith. There were dark circles under her eyes, it had been a very long evening. Her expression seemed to brighten when she saw Gaius' friendly face. "It's finally over," she said, brushing his hand away as he reached forward to inspect the cut on her face. "I'm fine, Gaius, trust me."

"I do trust you, m'dear," Gaius smiled. "But, I don't think you want that to scar."

Kadian rolled her eyes and succumbed to the treatment for the wound. They did not speak another word until the knights disappeared from the room. "Merlin, you better get in here," she called toward the sealed door at the top of the small alcove in the back of the chamber.

The door slowly pulled back and Merlin raced down the steps, wearing a navy blue scarf and a pale blue tunic with his brown jacket draped over his shoulders. He embraced her tightly, feeling her chilled skin beneath the tattered fabric of her blue gown. He felt her arms snake around him and wrapped around his back as her chin fell against his shoulder. Tears fell down her cheeks as her grip grew tighter. Her blue eyes clouded with water and her breaths grew short. "It's alright," Merlin cooed, combing his fingers through her blonde hair gently. "I'm here. It's all over now. They're all gone."

"Thanks to you," she whispered, letting her arms slide down his back and to her sides. His gradually did the same, but his hands took hold of her face, softly, and pulled her lips to his. The sweet taste was still the same as all the times before; however, Merlin cherished its presence more than he ever had, because it had almost been lost forever and it would only be a memory that he could reach for, and never take hold of.

Gaius let them have their reuniting moment before saying, "Take her up to her chamber, Merlin."

Merlin, hesitantly, lowered his mouth from her and took her hand in his, leading her from Gaius' chamber and through the corridors. They managed to reach her chamber unseen, most of the city had yet to waken. He laid her to rest and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders as her eyelids felt heavy and it was starting to be difficult to keep them open. He kissed her forehead and tucked the strands of her hair behind her ears. "Get some sleep," he said.

"Don't go," Kadian said, "please."

"I won't," Merlin said and went to lock the door before walking around the bed and sitting on the edge. He kicked off his boots, which he realized were dirty from his night's adventure, and laid down beside her. He slung am arm over her waist as she turned onto her side.

Now she knew. Now she knew that he was beside her, and would protect her while she slept from anything, vampires being her major concern.

-x-

**Here are this chapter's translations:**

Thanks Eilistraee for Translation

_**doer ulu uns'aa lu'harventh l'chanash'gi valbylis ussta da'rex**_

-come to me and cut the rope binding my arms.

_**Na therapeúteí apo to deyleteyrió**_

- be cured of the venom.

_**Beth plentyn prin, pobl ifanc a hardd. A tywysoges, beirniadu gan y ffordd ei gwaed cipio gwobr yng ngoleuni fioled. Rydych chi wedi gwneud yn dda**_

-What a rare child, young and beautiful. A princess, judging by the way her blood shines in the violet light. You have done well. (it's Welsh)

*****Special Shout-Out to Symphonia-Angel-Luna for making a background and banners for the story, located on my profile*****

_**Next time on **_**Forbidden Magic and Desire****:**

_**A time of celebration falls upon Camelot, a rare event in which the eldest child of the king receives his title of Crowned Prince. However, a mysterious knight crashes the festivities and throws down a gauntlet to any who wishes to meet him in single combat to the death. Old secrets are revealed in the darkest of times and bonds are stretched to their limits when haunting memories resurface. A powerful sword emerges from fire's breath, ringing a controversial question: will this be the end?**_


	12. Episode Eleven: Excaliber

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

****There is ****lemon**** in this chapter*****

-x-

In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

A soft tune sand throughout the palace corridors from a hidden regal; it spread a certain sadness and merriment through the halls and, if one would stop and listen, the streets of Camelot. The song had a slow rhythm like a waltz, and the different octaves of the notes sang harmoniously with each other. This day would be remembered among many within and outside the royal household. Today, the two children of the king turned of age and the prince, being the eldest, was to become Crown Prince.

Arthur walked quickly through the halls, swerving through the rushing servants that swarmed the corridors to prepare the palace for the night's festivities. Merlin had reported to him this morning, like usual, and relayed a message from the king to see Azura instead of reporting for patrol. Once he had finished his small breakfast, resembling Merlin's wonderful cooking abilities, he started for Azura's chambers. It had been nearly three weeks since the incident with the vampires, and, at the mention, Arthur shivered uncomfortably.

The door to Azura's chamber was slightly ajar when Arthur approached and he pushed it in slowly, not wanting to startle her. He gazed around the chamber that basked in a pleasant, golden glow and saw no one neither lying in the bed nor sitting at the windowsill. Felipe was curled up next to the open window, the soft breath of the earth rustling his tan fur, and perked his head up, glaring at Arthur before setting his head back against his forepaws. Looking to his right, Arthur saw no one, but when he turned to his left, a sigh escaped his lips.

His eyes trailed up a bandaged ankle and along a white dress until he saw her face. "It's not that I don't enjoy this view, mind you," Arthur said calmly, combing a hand through his hair, "but what the _hell_ are you doing up there?"

Azura looked down from the chair and pile of books she stood on, and smiled as her bright blue eyes fell upon Arthur's handsome face. "Ah, there you are," she said happily, "hand me that piece of parchment there."

He obeyed her commands and placed the roll of parchment in her hand. "I ask again, what are you doing up there?"

"Remember that spider I told you that was in this corner?"

"Yes, the one that doesn't exist."

"It came back," Azura whispered, like she was stalking the little creature, and slammed the parchment against the wall. "Got'cha, you buggar." Grinning, she threw the parchment onto the desk.

"Get down from there before you fall and break you ankle again," Arthur sighed, partially annoyed at her reluctance to stay off her ankle, and reached toward her as if to help her down. Azura laughed and leapt off the pile of books, landing in Arthur's arms which shot out, instinctively, to catch her.

"You wouldn't let that happen," Azura smirked from his grasp and kiss his lips teasingly.

Arthur let her down gently, but still had an arm slung across her back. "True," he admitted, nodding slightly. "Now, why did you call me here?"

Azura grinned and walked to the other side of her chamber, where she lifted her silver cloak off the bed post. "I got permission to take you out for the day," she smiled as she stared into the mirror's reflection, draping her cloak over her shoulder.

"You're taking_ me_ out?" Arthur chuckled and went over to fasten the cloak for her. He traced her brooch with his thumb as he closed it on the fabric. Lifting her hair from beneath the cloak, he moved his attention to their reflection in the mirror; he smiled. "Where are we going, then?"

"Dunno," Azura shrugged and spun around, "all I know is I have to have you back before sundown. Shall we?" She held out her hand and he took it, following her as she dragged him from her chamber and out into the courtyard where their horses were waiting for them.

Arthur helped her onto her white mare, Starlust, before mounting his own; he still believed her ankle was too weak to support her entire weight.

"Race you to the river," Azura challenged as she pat Starlust's flank. The mare was growing impatient, kneading at the tufts of grass that poked through the crevasses of the stone path.

"Don't cry when you lose," Arthur grinned, grasping the reins tightly in his hands. His stallion snorted and shook his black mane as he prepared himself for the challenge.

"On the count of three then," she stated with a faint grin and took the reins in her hands. She murmured for her horse to get ready and Starlust stretched her long legs and rolled her shoulders. "One... two..." Then, before she called off _three, _she flicked the reins harshly and Starlust was off, leaving Arthur in the dust on the count of two. He shouted after her, calling her a cheat, and flicked the reins of his horse, which sped after Starlust.

-x-

Merlin sat in Gaius' chamber, wrapping a small box in parchment. It was to be a birthday present for Kadian and he took pride in what was inside; he smiled at the thought of her surprised face when she opened it. The physician was fiddling with his many phials and supplies that had been lying idle in his chamber for several weeks now. His services had not been needed drastically since the knights returned from the cathedral. "Gaius," Merlin stated, forcing the physician to look up from his work, "do you hear the music too?"

"It depends, Merlin," Gaius replied curtly, "do you hear a regal, or are you losing your marbles?"

Merlin sighed as he finished wrapping Kadian's present poorly, securing the paper with a thin rope that he tied in a bow. "Yes, a regal," he grumbled. "I've look around the palace and I can't find where it's coming from. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Kadian since early this morning."

"And therein lies your answer," Gaius sighed dismissively and returned to his work; there was so little to do, but he took his sweet time so he did not waste the day.

"Kadian is playing the regal? Where?" Merlin inquired as he rose to his feet, tucking the parcel into his jacket pocket.

Gaius rolled his eyes and placed his work back on his bench. "You would not know it, but she does this every year, Merlin. The regal was her mother's. Uther had it moved after his wife's death and wherever he moved it, Kadian is. Now, let me tend to my work."

Merlin scoffed and left the physician's chamber; he was determined to find the source of the wondrous music that sang through the corridors.

-x-

The wood was serenaded by the gentle hymn of the larks that hid in the trees. High in the sky sat the sun at its zenith, shedding its lemon gaze onto the world below. A warm breeze swept the leaves to one side in a massive wave and the trees released several to flutter to the earth. Tiny curls of the river lapped onto the riverbank and rippled as Starlust came to a full halt.

Azura gazed over her shoulder and grinned as Arthur and his horse descended down the green slope. They stopped beside them and Azura tilted her head to the side. "You're not going to cry, are you?" she asked concerned as she dismounted and praised Starlust on her great job.

"No," Arthur grumbled and jumped from the saddle, "but you cheated."

"Did not!" Appalled, Azura shook her head and spun around to get her bearings. "Besides, you didn't stand a chance, anyway."

"Says who?"

"Says me," Azura replied triumphantly she turned to face him. "Oh, lighten up, Arthur. It was just a stupid race." She took a step closer to him, and he took a step closer to her. He was slightly taller than her and she need to look up a bit to stare into his blue eyes.

Then, with quick a smooth motion, Azura bent down and scooped water into her hand, throwing it in Arthur's face with a cocky grin on her face. Arthur ran a hand down his face, removing the droplets of water, and shook his head in a she-did-not-just-do-that way. He reached down and splashed her back, laughing as she cringed with the water dripping down her face.

Giggling, she made a run for it with Starlust galloping at her side, whinnying in amusement as they heard the hooves of Arthur's horse echoing their steps. Azura tethered the reins loosely on a low tree branch, slid her cloak over her head and slipped out of her flats before racing along the river bed. Arthur followed her every movement. Surely, she could have out run him easily, but she let him catch her around the waist and lift her into the air as she tried to pull away. "You know," Arthur said in a soft voice when Azura stopped trying to pull away, "Gaius said no running."

"He also said no climbing either, but you know how well I listen," Azura smiled and spun in his grasp. Before he knew what happened, she was kissing him deeply. She felt his grip loosen around her and she pulled away, walking out into the shallows of the river until the water rose to her knees. The water was just right, not too cold nor too hot.

She turned back to face him. "Come and get me," she called to him, waving her arms beckoning.

Arthur slid his arms out of his jacket, unlatched his belt, removed his boats and socks and placed them by the tree where their horses where tethered and grazing. He charged into the river and wading over to Azura, who pulled him to her and crushed her lips to his. She pulled away and while he was still a slight daze with that cute, bewitched smile, she showered him with water, catching him square in the face like she had before. She fell over and went completely as he splashed her back. Resurfacing, she set an annoyed, but playful, scowl.

Rising to her feet, she held out her arms wide, flexing her fingers. "Come here, Arthur," she said darkly as she waded over to him.

He stepped back, pushing her back softly. "Oh no, get back," he smiled with a short head shake.

"Don't be like that," Azura grinned and embraced him. She was completely soaked to the bone where, Arthur undoubtedly noticed, her white dress was nearly transparent. Then, she pushed him over and he went under the water, resurfacing with the same look she had. As he sat up with the water up passed his waist, he pulled Azura onto him and held her there with his lips to hers, his fingers combing through her drenched hair, and the sun beating directly upon them.

-x-

The soft tune from the concealed regal had faded into silence and the corridors grew quiet, even as the servants scrambled to get the evenings celebrations prepared. Uther stood on the balcony, overlooking his grand city, with his golden crown glinting in the slowly setting light. He watched as Arthur and Azura rode into the city, into the courtyard where the stationed guards raced to collect the horses. A slight smile curved the king's lips as he witnessed Arthur bid farewell to Azura, who had wrapped her cloak completely around her. They shared a short kiss before going their separate ways, to their chambers to prepare for the celebrations to come.

-x-

Merlin knocked on Kadian's chamber door, seeing Azura enter her own chamber down the hall. The door opened slowly and Kadian pulled him inside. There were dark circles under her eyes from her lack of sleep over the past weeks. She had been suffering from terrible nightmares about the vampires and the ritual they nearly succeeded in completing. Since the day she had returned, Merlin either smuggled his way into her chamber or she managed to get into his. Being near Merlin seemed to make the nightmares less frightening, but never did they vanish completely. "Merlin," she smiled, kissing his cheek, "what a surprise. Sorry I haven't been around..."

"It's fine," he said understandingly and shut the door silently behind him. "I think that a 'happy birthday' is in order." As he spoke, he pulled the small, wrapped box from his jacket pocket and held it out toward her.

"Merlin," Kadian gasped as she hesitantly reached for the parcel, "you didn't have to you."

"It's not every day you become of age," Merlin stated assuring and led her to sit on the edge of her bed with him to her right.

Kadian pulled lose the tie pressing the parchment against the package, then unravelled the parchment until a small, tan box rested in the palm of her hand. The tips of her fingers lifted off the lid. It collided to the floor as she gazed at the glistening silver chain inside. With a steady hand, she lifted the bracelet into the air. There were two strips of silver, zigzagging around each other that held tiny pieces of blue gemstones; the stones were the same shade of her eyes. "Merlin..." was all she could say as the stones reflected the dying sunlight which seeped in through the window.

Merlin reached over and took the bracelet from her fingers. He took her hand and placed the bracelet around her wrist, securing it. "I'm glad you like it," he smiled.

Speechless still, Kadian gave him a thank-you kiss that was slightly deeper than expected. Her fingers combed through his dark hair, messing it further. Reluctantly, she pulled away and rose to her feet. With a smile, she stated, "I've got to get ready. Oh, don't give me that puppy-dog look... Merlin... _Merlin_."

Sighing, Merlin got to his feet, still with the puppy-dog stare. He stood before Kadian, his face only centimetres from hers. His pleading stare meshed together with her serene gaze until he smile, kissed her, and left the chamber.

"Oh, and Merlin," Kadian said once he disappeared around the corner.

Merlin peered over the corner. "Yes?"

"Can you send Zu over here?" she asked, batting her eyes.

He nodded and disappeared, only to reappear when she called him again.

"And Merlin," she said, "thank you."

"You're welcome," Merlin smiled and vanished once more.

In a few moments, Azura appeared in her door way, drying her hair with a towel. "You sent for me?" she said as she looked through the edge of the towel.

Kadian tilted her hair, examining the drowned rat Azura was. "Normally, I would ask, but I just don't think I want to know," she laughed. "I don't know what to wear."

"I think you do a fine job, Kadian," Azura laughed, brushing her hair down and folding the towel, laying it across her forearm. "But, since it _is_ your birthday, I will be glad to help. Just let me get my things."

-x-

The hall grew silent as the prince knelt before Uther, looking up at the king with a stern stare. Torchlight brightened the dark rays that dribbled in from the large, stained-glass window with a giant red dragon imprinted on it. Kadian and Morgana stood behind the king and to his left with their soft hands folded before them.

Kadian wore a stunning, ice-blue gown with a gathered skirt bedecked with silver lace and beads. The fabric seemed to wisp around her slender figure; the effect was quite ravishing. On her arms were silk, ice-blue gloves where the bracelet Merlin gave her rested. Kadian had pulled her hair back into a magnificent bun, leaving two strands of curls on the sides of her beautiful face, and wore her silver circlet on her temple, the loops shedding a shadow of the Celtic design on her brow. Her lips were painted a faint pink and there was glitter sparkling at the corners of her eyes. She was dazzling like the sapphires on the circlet and the gemstones around her wrist.

Morgana wore a seductive, maroon gown that complimented her generous proportions. The dress was accented with golden lace that branched into curlicues around her midsection. She looked as teasing as she did every day, taunting the gentlemen in the chamber with every subtle movement.

To their left, back by the wall, stood Guinevere and Merlin, each dressed in the attire of the servants of the royal household. Merlin had escaped wearing the wretched hat with the long, red and green feathers.

Across from them, in the front of the row of guests, stood Azura with her hair pulled back in a tiara twist, leaving her few strands dangling at the sides of her face. Her gown was of luxurious, ivory silk which with a form fitting skirt that clung to her breath-taking form. The silk was inlaid with gold and silver lace that formed intricate designs along the fabric. There were rings on her fingers, gold bangles on her wrists, a glistening gold armlet on her arm, and the aquamarine pendant her brother had given her was resting on her bosom. She looked as radiant as the sun at its peak in the hottest of summer days.

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statutes, customs, and laws laid down by your forebears?" Uther asked as he gazed down at his son, his eldest child, with a sceptre in hand.

"I do, sire," Arthur replied, staring up at the king.

"Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds of judgement?" Uther questioned.

"I do, sire," Arthur answered.

"And do you swear allegiance to Camelot," the king continued, extending the sceptre toward his son, "now, and for as long as you shall live?"

Arthur raised a hand and coiled his fingers around the sceptre, "I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service, and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples."

Uther turned to the servant standing to his right, with a cushion lain across his arms on which a golden crown rested. The king took hold of the diamond studded crown and turned back to his son. "Now," he said, "being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot." As his voice rang the last syllables, he placed the crown upon Arthur's head.

The hall erupted with applause as Uther smiled down at his son, with nothing but admiration in his eyes. Arthur stood and turned to the people who had gathered to witness this ceremony, his first real step toward becoming King.

As Arthur basked in his glory and the applause of those gawking at him, Gwen leaned closer to Merlin and whispered, "So, how does it feel to be servant to the Crown Prince of Camelot?"

"Washing his royal socks will be even more of a privilege," he mumbled, making her laugh.

"You're proud of him really, even though you complain about him constantly," she stated coldly, turning her gaze back upon Arthur, who met Azura's eyes as he scanned the hall.

"I am not," Merlin protested, seeing Kadian glance over at him from her position by the king; she must have heard part of their conversation.

"Yes you are. I can see it in your face," Gwen stated, nudging him slightly.

"Those socks are very clean, of course I'm proud of them," he replied with smiled, nodding, as he heard her chuckle again.

The applause was silenced and the ring of shattered glass took its place, echoing harshly through the chamber. A black horse, armoured in steel plates, crashed through the window stained with the red dragon. Its hooves sparked against the floor as it landed, its rider sitting upright on the saddle. The knight was suited in black mail and a dark, scratched helm concealed his identity. There was a wooden shield resting on his arm, flashing a white crest. The men equipped with swords drew them. Azura stepped back, allowing the knights to take their places to Arthur's right. There was a dark energy being released from the concealment of the knight's tattered, ashen cloak.

The horse trotted forward, ignoring the shrieks that had escaped the startled guests, until the black knight stopped its progression.

A scratched, black gauntlet crashed to the floor from the very hand of the black knight.

Everyone stared down at the gauntlet and the strange feeling it released as the prince sheathed his sword and reached toward it. However, his hand did not grasp the steel, but the hand of a young knight to his right, around his age, if not younger.

"I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge," the young knight said firmly as he set his green eyes upon the maimed helm.

The black knight's head turned stiffly toward Sir Owain. "Single combat to the death," his blood-curdling voice stated mono-toned. His black steed flared its nostrils and whinnied as he turned away from the knights and king, exiting the hall. It had all happened so fast, it took everyone several moments for the happenings to sink in.

Murmurs flooded the air once the tail of the horse disappeared, but Arthur just turned and stared at Owain, angered that he had taken up the gauntlet; however, Arthur said nothing. There was nothing to say that was not written in his eyes.

The celebratory feast concluded early that night, earlier than it should have.

-x-

Merlin and the court physician returned to their chamber after the King had dismissed the guest from the feast. As Gaius immediately returned to the work he had set aside, using it to busy his rattled thoughts, Merlin leaned in the doorway leading to his bedroom. His arms were crossed as he thought about the black knight and then, how he was going to get into Kadian's chamber that night to stay with her to coax her from the haunting nightmares. He looked at the physician. "Do you know this black knight?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Gaius grumbled as he poured an exotic-coloured liquid into a flask.

"Did you recognize his crest?" Merlin pressed.

"Crest?" Gaius glanced up, recalling the symbol, but he looked back at his work.

"Yeah, which house it is?"

"I did not see it clearly."

"So, you don't think he's from around here?"

"Merlin," Gaius exclaimed with subtle gasp of annoyance, "your belief in my all-seeing knowledge is both touching and wholly misplaced. Now, if you haven't any work to do, you'd best leave me to mine."

"Fine," Merlin grumbled and pushed off the wall. He went into his chamber with a shrug. He knew Gaius was going to be up for at least another hour, which would give Merlin the chance he needed to get to Kadian's chamber if all went well. He had a feeling her nightmares were going to be worse tonight, marred by the image of the towering, black knight.

When the door to Merlin's chamber shut the warlock inside, Gaius placed his work on his bench and left his chamber silently. He never liked to lie, especially to his nephew, but these times he had no choice.

-x-

The door to the Library swung open against the force of the physician's hands. Dust leapt into the air as Gaius walked forward into the depths of the dimly lit aisle of bookcases that reeked of musk. Few torches were lit around the library, many of which were dying with the lateness of the evening.

Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court genealogist, was standing before his desk with a large text lain out before him. He looked up at the sound of the door opening and closing. He seemed to relax when he saw that it was only a friend, not a foe. "Gaius," the genealogist said nodding as he rested an old, shaking hand on the open page of the text.

"You know why I have come?" the physician wondered, noticing he inscriptions and drawings on the page.

"You come about the black knight." Geoffrey saw Gaius nod and glanced at the page, moving his hand away from the name he covered. Above his knobby fingers was a draw-drawn crest. "He bears the crest of Tristan Dubois," Geoffrey stated grimly.

However, Gaius did not seem as surprised as one would have assumed; he only nodded. "And he is the only knight to carry the crest?" Gaius wondered, eyeing the opening page.

"Yes."

-x-

In the dim corridor adjacent to the hall where the feast had ended, Morgana confronted Arthur with her face red as a tomato and voice on the brink of pleading. Behind her, hesitating to reach for her, stood Guinevere who stayed silent and impartial to the evening's happenings; she felt the same as Morgana, though, for she feared for Owain.

"He shouldn't have picked up the gauntlet!" Arthur growled, throwing a fist toward the floor angrily; it was a challenge to him, he stood at the front of the knights.

"Then, put an end to it!" Morgana stated sternly; her voice was waning.

"The challenge has been taken up, the fight cannot be stopped," Arthur replied as he turned away from her. His gaze met Azura's delicate face that held her neutral feelings. She dropped his gaze and looked out the nearby window, smiling at the thousands of stars she could see.

"Fight in his place." Morgana sneered like a demand, forcing Arthur to move his sight back onto her.

"I can't," he said softly, if not regrettably.

"Why not?" Morgana snapped, nearly shouting. Guinevere took a step toward her, reaching for Morgana's wrist, but the ward pulled her hand away. She was not going to relent; she had to protect her friend.

"Owain picked up the gauntlet, Morgana. Owain is the one that must fight. That's the knight's code," Arthur stated with a low sigh. He wished that it was not true, but alas it was. As he turned away, he said, "He knew that."

Morgana rushed forward, stopping after several steps. "But, it's a fight to the death!" Morgana cried in a shout.

Arthur glanced over his shoulder, seeing her trembling lips quiver under her words. "I know," he sighed with his eyes hitting the floor. Extending a hand toward Azura, who took it, he led the way down the hall. As they walked slowly, like a silent death march, they could hear Morgana begin to cry and Guinevere trying to soothe her thoughts of what the next day would bring.

-x-

They entered his chamber without a sound. A small fire kindled in the hearth, glowing pale amber as it licked the crisp night air. Arthur let her hand drop carelessly to her side as he crossed the chamber to stand at the window, where he stared out, deep in thought. Below in the square, stood the Black Knight like a stone statue with a torn, black flag waving in his grasp.

Once she shut the door, locking it, Azura walked to stand beside him and rested her head against his arm. "You alright?" she asked gently as she gazed at the twinkling stars in the sky. They were peaceful, dancing amok in the dark sky with no worries of the troubles beneath their silver gazes.

When he did not reply, she sighed and pulled him away from the window; he did not fight her. She sat him on the edge of his bed and caressed his cheek softly as knelt down. She unbuckled his belt and ever so gently, placed it on the floor with only a delicate clash of the sword's sheath making a noise.

"Relax." She spoke softly as she climbed on to the bed behind him.

Her breath was warm against the back of his neck as she continued to speak slow and softly. "Let me," she grinned with her lips only centimetres away from his ear as her arms wrapped around him. The tips of her fingers traced the tiny circles of steel that made his mail and they curled around the bottom of the armour, slowly pulling it over his head until it landed onto the floor beside his sword. The padding beneath the mail was next to descend, then the simple red tunic that was against his chest.

Azura's fingers ran up and down his tense muscles, working through the knots and releasing the pressure where it was tightly bound. The way her fingers danced across his flesh filled Arthur with a sensation of complete tranquillity. All of his woes and stressing thoughts swam away, down the stream that her fingers made as they slid around his neck and down his spine. "You have magic fingers," he said in a soothed voice.

She curved her lips into a small grin, letting her fingers trickle around Arthur's neck and down to his torso, where they played with the boar's tooth he wore on a brown rope. Her head snuck into the crook of his neck as her eyelids gradually came together. "You could say that," she whispered, steadily opening her eyes to stare across the chamber, the surprising, organized mess it was. "Celebrations always seemed to be disrupted here, don't they?"

"Yeah," Arthur chuckled. "They do." He turned his head slightly to peck her on the cheek.

Azura locked her fingers together at his centre, feeling his heat through her gown. "So, my _prince_, why waste such a wondrous evening?"

"What did you have in mind, love?" Arthur grinned.

She whispered something into his ear, slow and alluring that left Arthur speechless. He sat there, feeling her warmth against his back, reminiscing in the evening they shared many nights ago, after Lancelot's celebration for receiving knighthood. Then, their minds had been poisoned with liquor, leaving parts of the night in a haze while letting other actions stand out, but now they were clear as crystal.

Slowly, he turned, catching her face in his hands, and stared into those blue eyes he adored so much. The idea of them together crossed his mind more that he was willing to admit; they were sinful thoughts. Never had he felt _this_ way toward any other even when under an enchantment. Magic, no matter how strong, could not completely remove emotions; he strongly believed that. Whatever she had said sounded like it belonged to a foreign language, but he did not ask for a translation or a repetition. Surely, there were some who would not approve, especially out of wedlock, but he _was_ the Crown Prince and he dared them to try to punish him.

Perhaps he thought too long, but it was no matter. Arthur gently brought her lips to his to taste that sweet, alluring taste that was Azura. His arms wrapped around her like coiling adders, strong and captivating. The silk of her gown was soft, smooth beneath his fingertips. The threat of the Black Knight vanished as Arthur kicked off his boots and crawled up onto the bed in front of her. Her skin quivered as the ivory gown slithered down her flesh, letting a faint chill fall upon her shoulders. Steadily, he guided her down, onto her back where he towered over her, his necklace hanging off his neck hovering over the crevasse of her breasts.

The tip of her tongue traced his bottom lip for a moment before being swept away by his, into their mingling lips. Her fingers danced down his back like tiny ballerinas until they reached his waist and the rim of his slacks, hooking around the fabric and waiting there, hesitantly, as Arthur's lips fluttered back slightly. This was the second time they had come this far, only one morsel of clothing holding them back. He gazed down at her, into the depths of the mythical eyes that gazed back up at his, the bold blue they were. Moments like this should be savoured, but the suspense was too much for him.

His eyes had slipped away from hers and onto the top of her body, the fascinating sculpture it was. His fingers traced her smooth skin, grinning as it reacted to his touch with a quiver as if it was frightened of him. It did not cross his mind that her hands were still hesitating at the edge of his trousers, nor did he care to ask for the reason why. All sensible logic to him flew out the door when his hormones and cravings set in. He crushed his lips on to hers, shattering any thoughts she was processing.

Suddenly, he felt a subtle draft; his trousers had crawled down his legs. He helped her along, since her reach went so far, and kicked them off once they reached his calves, otherwise they would get in the way, his way. He felt her hips roll beneath him and her sleek thighs rubs up against his, drawing him closer, tempting him, and deepening his kiss.

Her centre brushed up against him, and Arthur did not need another invitation. Azura bit her lip, dragging it away from the ravenous Arthur, who pushed inside her. She had to be quiet, there were people still walking about in the corridors near the prince's chambers. She shuddered as she felt him inside her, moving with small, rapid thrusts. Her fingers slipped through his mane, securing his face to hers which she pleaded would keep her silent.

It hurt, yes, but it was more pleasurable once the initial pain went away. Her back arched and she threw her head back, clenching her teeth to keep from crying out, but soft whimpers escaped from her lips like a kitten's mew. Being beaten, tossed around, cut, and tackled could not prepare her for this intimate act. Her insides felt weird as if butterflies were flapping their velvet wings in an enraged manner.

With her lips out of his grasp, Arthur kissed her neck that was painted with a blush-tint from the slowly dying flames in the fireplace. The bed creaked beneath them as they moved as one, sliding up and down against the quilts and sheets. The fur throw tickled Azura bottom, curving her lips into a grin even as Arthur lowered his face into her breasts, tracing the pair with his tongue and nipping at them.

"_Arthur_," she moaned as he pushed, as far as he could, knowing she was at her breaking point. Once her tense body released what she was holding back, his pace quickened and he pulled her lips to his, rapidly searching for his own release. He found it – she would have been rather disappointed if he could not - and let it all go, filling her to the brim.

Her breath was caught as a new sensation seeped into her. She bit her lip again trying to stay quiet, but Arthur swept her lips away. Azura hands slid down his torso, which was drenched in sweat as he worked inside her, and the way her hands fell into the groove of his muscles drew her close to him and made her skin tremble. He was shaking too.

Little crossed Arthur's mind as they continued this nightly game. All he cared was that she was his temple, secret, but his nonetheless.

-x-

Merlin rose from his sleep by an ear-piercing scream. His arms embraced Kadian as she thrashed about, her blonde hair slashing the air like knives as screams escaped her lips. Her eyelids were pressed firmly together, forcing her mind to stay in the dream. "Kadian," Merlin said repeatedly, shaking her until her fit stopped.

The princess stared across the room. Her blue eyes were petrified and jumped from object to object, searching from the elements of her nightmare, but her woes and fears were calmed: she was in her chamber, the sun was rising, and Merlin was beside her with tight arms embracing her. There were no vampires, no scents of lingering death, or blood-stained ash. It took a moment, but her muscles finally relaxed as she heard Merlin's coo, "It's alright, I'm here."

Slowly and hesitantly, Kadian shifted her scared eyes upon Merlin, who look crazed with his hair sticking up in many directions with dark circles under his eyes. This was the utmost night she had woken him with her screaming. Vampires had marred her dreams since that dark night; however, tonight, they had been joined by a dark figure, clothed in chain-mail painted black, mounted upon a black mustang. The image of the knight's maimed helm still haunted her eyes. Everywhere she saw the scratches, the walls, the ceiling, and even on her own body. "Merlin," she sighed, rested her head against him as her mind came to and she knew for sure the nightmare had ended. "He was there, the knight. I heard a name... Du-Dubois, I think it was. Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"I'll look into it... later," Merlin yawned, running a caring hand down her back. "Go back to sleep."

Nodding, Kadian lazily brought her head to rest on her nearly flattened pillow, which Merlin would generously fix later in the day. Her cheek fell against the pillow and her eyelids felt heavy as she felt a warm, captivating arm reach across her side and press her close to Merlin who was there to watch over her until the dreams stopped.

-x-

It seemed like mere seconds before she was woken again and sat up to gaze dazedly around the chamber like she was unsure where she was. Again, she saw no vampires or black-suited knights with scarred helms. Merlin was standing, sliding his arms into his brown jacket, and he turned when she sat up, running a hand through her messy hair that fell before her eyes. She smiled weakly at him as she pulled the covers back and pressed her feet against the freezing floor. Shivering as the cold air cascaded onto her skin, Kadian rose to her feet with a yawn and a stretch of her arms. "Did you sleep better?" Merlin asked, referring to the short period after she had woken up screaming.

"Not really," Kadian sighed, debating whether to take a step or to stand still with the lack of energy she had. There were dark circles under her eyes; she could see them in the gilt mirror that stared back at her with her own eyes.

"I'll look into the name once I get Arthur out of bed," Merlin replied, crossing the chamber to embrace her. He kissed the top of her head and released her from his warm grasp, which he knew she wanted to keep with her all the time.

"Thank you, Merlin," she said, her fingers skimming against his jacket as he stepped closer to the door. "For everything."

A small, amused smile curved Merlin's lips as he pulled the door open and stepped into the doorway with her stare still on him. There was nothing more in the world that he wanted more than to stay with her for the morning or indefinitely, but his duties called and Arthur was as patient as a ravenous lion. A kiss found his cheek after flying through air from Kadian's lips, and Merlin turned away, with pink cheeks and an even brighter smile.

-x-

Merlin's hand rasped against Arthur's chamber door, hearing no stirring or voices from inside. He received no reply and knocked again, remembering a small conversation the prince and he hand about knocking before entering. Merlin, after knocking for a third time, reached for the doorknob and turned it, but it would not revolve all the way: the door had been locked from the inside. Puzzled, he knocked again, this time calling, "Arthur. It's Merlin."

Then, he heard a groan from the depths of the chamber, followed by heavy footsteps, silence, and then more steps until he heard the lock unhitch and the door parted slightly. "Merlin," Arthur said his golden hair a mess and wearing only his trousers, "can you come back later?"

"Er, no, sire," Merlin replied, startled by the prince's rugged and exhausted appearance. "It's late enough as it is, my fault entirely... not _completely_ mine... you could say it was mine..."

"Stop babbling, Merlin," Arthur grumbled with a yawn. He combed a hand through his hair and glanced back into his chamber. Sighing, he turned to Merlin. "Alright, I can manage. However, I need you to do something for me, and you can't tell anyone, do you understand?"

"Sure?" Merlin replied partially scared to see what he had gotten himself into this time.

Arthur brought his voice down low, glancing down the corridor to see if there was anyone else present. "I need you to go to Azura's chamber..." he paused. "Get her something decent to wear and whatever it is she needs to get ready."

Merlin raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to Arthur. "She spent the night?" he asked his voice low and intrigued on the subject. "How was it?"

"_Merlin!_" Arthur growled, nearly hitting the warlock with a tightly-clenched fist.

Merlin stepped back in time to miss the blow. "I'm going!" he exclaimed, running down the hall to escape with his life.

-x-

He climbed the steps to the level where Azura's chamber was and experienced dejávu as he passed by Kadian's chamber. In the back of his mind, Merlin thought it was amusing, Arthur sneaking around the laws of Camelot, more the Church's laws, but laws nonetheless. Cautiously, Merlin entered Azura's chamber and met a dark, ravenous stare from the top of the desk.

Azura's ferret, Felipe glared up at Merlin, his small teeth parted and fur bristling. No wonder Arthur despised him so much. Merlin, half-expecting to be jumped by the ferret, crossed the chamber to the trunk that lay open at the foot of Azura's bed. Without letting his eyes slip away from the ferret, Merlin dug out a dress and a comb.

"Merlin? What are you doing?" a concerned voice called from the hallway.

The young warlock's eyes wiped over to corridor, fearing that he had failed in his simple task. The breath he held expelled from his lips when he saw that it was only Kadian standing there with her hands on her hips and a raised eyebrow. She wore a blue gown, like she normally wore, with the bracelet he had gotten her dangling on her wrist. "It's for Arthur," Merlin replied, pulling the dress behind his back as Felipe leapt from his perch and vanished underneath the bed-skirt.

"Last time I knew that's definitely not Arthur's size," Kadian scowled, stalking into the chamber and pulled Merlin's arm toward her. "Why do you have Azura's dress and comb?"

"I-I... um..." Merlin stuttered letting all of his sense and thoughts leave his mind.

"Merlin, you can tell me. Did Azura spend the night?" Kadian pressed as she stared into Merlin's eyes with a look that Merlin only saw when Gaius was trying to get answer from him, and Gaius' stare was the scariest thing he had faced since his arrival in Camelot.

Her stare was too strong and weakened Merlin until the point where he thought his knees would buckle. "Arthur told me not to tell anyone," he said with a reluctant sigh.

Kadian deepened her stare to the point where he began to cringe and sink toward the floor. "Anyone does not include me, _Merlin_. It's not like I'm going to run down the corridors screaming it," she stated with a frown.

When she blinked and her stare vanished, Merlin straightened himself. "Yes, alright, _yes_," he said like he was out of breath. "She spent the night."

There was a grin that appeared on Kadian's face which raised the quelled fear in Merlin. If Arthur found out that Kadian knew, it would be the death of him and he would receive worse if she told anyone else. "Thank you, Merlin. That's all I wanted to know," she smiled. "You can go now, before that ferret gets back."

"You saw that too?" Merlin replied, stepping toward the door while glancing around the room, especially the floor by his feet for Felipe.

"He's a seriously disturbed rodent, doesn't like anyone but Zu," Kadian stated, stepping out of his way as he moved into the corridor. "Wish Owain luck for me, he needs it."

"You don't think he can beat the knight?" Merlin suspected, turning to face her as she shut the door to Azura's chamber. Her eyes met his and he knew what they said; it was the talk of the palace and town: no one believed Owain could triumph over the Black Knight. Without another word, he waited until Kadian disappeared down the hall to make a run for Arthur's chambers.

-x-

Arthur took Azura's clothing in haste when Merlin finally returned from such a simple task. Merlin waited outside the prince's chamber for what felt like ages until Arthur granted him passage. He was surprised to see that Azura had managed to get Arthur into his chain mail. She was sitting on his bed, which she had stripped the blankets off to be washed (which Merlin really did not want to do and would let his magic take care of), brushing her hair. Her eyes glanced over at him when he entered, with an awkward expression.

Merlin jumped when she spoke. "Did Kadian have another nightmare last night?" she asked, ignoring Arthur as he began to instruct Merlin on what he needed done.

"Yeah," Merlin acknowledged, trying to process two different conversations at once. "This time the Black Knight was in it along with the vampires."

"Poor girl," she sighed, pulling her hair back and tying it back into a messy bun. There was a certain glow against her skin that Merlin noticed when she rose to her feet and the sunlight hit her from behind. "I'll see what I can do, later. When's Owain getting here? I want to wish him luck, since I won't see him fight."

"Any minute now... you're not going to the arena?" Merlin asked, completely ignoring Arthur, who had finally given up on talking to Merlin and reached down to pick up the dress Azura had worn the previous evening and tossed it behind the screen, out of sight.

Arthur chuckled slightly. "It'd take a miracle to get her to step foot in there. I've already tried," he sighed as he crossed the room to stand by her. "I've never heard her use the word "no" so many times in a single sentence."

Azura nudged him in the side and laughed as he slung an arm across her back. Merlin held back a comment as he went to pick up the blankets that Azura had tossed to the ground. He quickly said that he would be back with Sir Owain and left the chamber; he could not take it anymore, the way they were acting; it was too awkward and unfitting for him to be there when they were high on rapture from last night.

-x-

It was not long before Merlin returned and suited Sir Owain in his armour. He draped a red cape over the young knight's shoulders and latched it in the front with two bronze clasps that had been imprinted with the Camelot insignia. Arthur had been lecturing Owain on the ways of mortal combat and how it was different from the training he had been given. It was important for Owain to find the flow of the battle and be in control of it, let his opponent fight to survive _his_ attacks, and not the other way around. Azura was sitting in the chair by the fireplace, with her legs crossed as she listened attentively to their conversation, finding it rather interesting.

"The problem is: you haven't seen him fight before. You have to quickly get the measure of him," Arthur stated.

"I have the same advantage, he hasn't seen me fight either," Sir Owain replied, setting his green eyes on the prince. "You watched me. So?"

Arthur placed a firm, gloved hand on the knight's shoulder. "And I know no one braver," he said with a straight face, masking what they all knew and feared for him.

There was a soft knock on the door and their eyes shifted toward it as Guinevere came in. She set her chocolate eyes on Owain and extended a tan hand which held a red ribbon. "The Lady Morgana asked me to give to you. She wishes you to wear it for luck," she said, dropping her stare once her voice faded away.

Sir Owain stepped closer to Guinevere, taking the token in his hand. "Tell the Lady Morgana I thank her and will wear it with pride, but I don't need any luck," he said in a soft, caring tone.

Guinevere bowed her head and scurried from the chamber to return to Morgana. When the door had shut, Azura rose to her feet and approached Owain, kissing him softly on the cheek before whispering in his ear, "_Be safe_." She turned to Arthur, smiled, and left the chamber to allow the men time to discuss tactics on well-aimed blows.

-x-

Azura strolled down the corridors with a smile on her face, which seemed to cast light brighter than the sun upon all the lurking shadow in every corner. The people who passed by her could not help but smile back as they headed toward the arena which would bring those smile down to straight lines. When she heard her name being called, she stopped and turned toward its source. "Ah, I should have known he couldn't keep his mouth shut," Azura sighed letting her bright eyes rest upon Kadian's face.

"That's not what I want to talk to you about," Kadian replied, grumbling, as she approached. She brought her voice down to a harsh whisper. "I want to talk to you about Owain and Morgana."

"What of it?" Azura asked, walking with Kadian toward the exit of the palace.

Kadian paused and continued walking alongside her, trying to find a way to word her sentences. When they reached the outskirts of the arena, Azura stopped and Kadian turned to stand in front of her. "We all know Owain isn't going to make it out of this," she sighed with her voice still low as peasants passed by to take their seats. "Morgana's going to be a wreck and what Gwen and I think would be best is that you took care of her. If anyone can stop her from drowning in her tears it would be you."

"Why me?" Azura asked, glancing over at the arena and the very soil that her brother had been stricken by a venomous snake. She could see him and Valiant duelling, like ghosts, in the centre and herself, sitting beside Kadian in the stands. Where Valiant had been towering over Jaiden stood the Black Knight waiting for the upcoming challenge. Shivers crawled up her spine as Kadian spoke again, returning her mind to the dark reality.

"Because, you're... you," Kadian said. "If anyone can turn darkness into sunlight it's you. We... _I_ have this feeling."

"You and your feelings, Kadian," Azura sighed with a faint laugh. "Alright, only because Morgana's my friend."

"Thank you, Azura," Kadian replied, embracing her softly before stepping toward the stands. She turned, however and stared back at Azura who had a haunted look on her face while her eyes stared into the arena, but blinked and she had returned from the past. "I hate to be curious... how was it?"

Azura raised an eyebrow and turned away, but kept her gaze over her shoulder. "Your brother's no prince," she smirked and went on her way, leaving the dark memories she carried in the arena.

-x-

Every person in the stands knew that it would take a miracle for Sir Owain to win this duel. The Black Knight had not shifted his stance nor made any changes as Arthur accompanied Owain into the arena, whispering last minute advice to the young knight before his life would be put on the line. Arthur felt that this should have been his duel, his fight to the death, but he had been beaten to the draw and now had to watch one of his knights perish. As the prince went to take his spot by the king, a soldier removed Owain's red cape and handed him a helmet and his trusty sword.

The stands had grown quiet; the gathered were on the edge of their seats. Morgana squeezed Kadian's hand as she saw her token tied to Owain's right arm. Guinevere was on the opposite side of the ward, holding her other hand as her coffee eyes watched the Black Knight lift his blade into his hands, awaiting Arthur's word to begin.

A chill wind howled, kicking dust into the air as Arthur stood to his father's right, watching the Black Knight and Owain, who slipped the helm over his head and readied himself. Arthur half-wished Azura would be sitting beside him, but she was not and he had to deal with it. "Let battle commence," he declared and took his chair beside Uther.

The Black Knight moved quickly, giving Owain little time to block and dodge his initial strike. Their swords clashed and the stands erupted in a wave of cheers of encouragement. Owain stumbled away from another one of the knight's strong blows, already feeling his breath slipping away in exhaustion. He knew Arthur had been right when he said it would be different than the training he had obtained.

The young knight blocked and countered when the Black Knight came at him again. He noticed how the flow of the battle was in favour of the opponent, strong offensive with a weak defence on his end. His sword parried a blow to the side. He stepped, the sword swinging above his head, only inches away as he ducked underneath the Black Knight's arm, slicing at the black mail that shielded the knight. Owain's heart raced as he raised his shield to deflect the next blow.

Owain was pushed away by the force of the Black Knight's next attack; his shield's block forced him to stumble backwards. He gazed up and closed his eyes as the knight's gauntlet swept across his face, knocking his helm to the ground where it spun until it collapsed to its side. There was only a single layer of mail between Owain's head and the knight's sword. In the background of roaring cheers, Owain could hear Arthur shout: "One well-aimed blow!"

The Black Knight's sword swung overhead, his sword screeching through the air like a hawk ready to kill a tiny mouse. Owain raised his shield and held the enemy sword over his head and while in a low, soft-bow stance, he forced his sword upward.

From where he stood, Merlin saw the point of Owain's sword slip through the black tunic the Black Knight wore. "Yeah!" he exclaimed with a smile, which made Gaius jump and stare up at him like he was mad.

The Black Knight rose his arms and they returned to his sides quickly, sword in hand. He pushed Owain back with a strong kick, followed by swings of his sword which looked like tarnished sliver blurs. Owain stumbled back, deflecting each of the knight's harsh blows.

Morgana caught her breath and squeezed Kadian's hand so tightly it turned red.

Arthur was ready to spring forward from his seat.

Uther looked intrigued and leaned forward, his head leaving his hand.

Azura turned away from the window she was watching from.

And the crowd went silent as the Black Knight's sword dug into Sir Owain with immense force. Owain went limp, his blood dripping down his silver mail as his fingers uncoiled and his sword collapsed to the ground. His last sight was of Morgana whose eyes glossed over with tears and she lost her breath as her grip on Kadian's hand released. The red token he had worn with pride rested against the gravel, ripped where the knight had sliced his arm when he tumbled to the ground.

The battle was over; the victor was the Black Knight.

The Black Knight lifted his sword from Owain's corpse, coated in scarlet blood that stained the soil around the young knight. He threw down his gauntlet and rested his hands upon the hilt of his sword as he awaited his next challenger.

Uther grasped Arthur by the arm as he sprung to his feet in rage. One of the knights to their left leapt down from the stands, bending down to lift the scathed gauntlet into his hands. "I, Sir Pellinore, accept your challenge," the dark skinned knight declared, his mail glistening with the bright sunlight.

"So be it," said the Black Knight. He turned, lifting his sword onto his shoulder and walked out of the arena with a sturdy gait.

Kadian embraced Morgana who sat cold as if petrified by a ghost. Her eyes gazed over at Merlin who attempted to explain to Gaius that the knight had landed a blow. She had seen it too, Owain's "well-aimed blow". There was something mysterious about the Black Knight. Merlin met Kadian's stare. He was thinking the same thing she was: what if the Black Knight was already dead?

-x-

"Morgana, shh," Azura chimed, holding Morgana in her arms as the ward wept so hard it was like rain was pouring into the chamber. Guinevere and Kadian had left Azura to tend to Morgana, they had already done what they could; she would not stop crying, and even when there was no tears streaming down her face, her breaths skipped and she wailed like a baby. "It'll all be alright."

This was worse than a nightmare for Morgana. She felt like she was living in one that terrorized her every night. All she saw in her eyes was the sword piercing Owain's body, ending his young life quickly, and his blood smeared against the tarnished steel of the Black Knight's sword. Morgana felt weak, alone. Owain had been her best friend, closer to her than Kadian ever was, and one might even say that he was her first love, but they were never together, not even for the shortest of time. Their friendship had been pure and if it had been taken any further, it would not have been right. He was the first person at her door when news of her father's death arrived, before the king could even mutter of the promise he had made. A friendship like theirs was rare, and now it was lost. "H-he's gone," Morgana sobbed.

"Yes," Azura replied, running her hand down Morgana's long, wavy black hair. "He's in a better place. He's safe now, away from evil."

Morgana pulled away from her and stared into her eyes, reading her for the truth in her words. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy from crying so hard. "How c-can you kn-know?" she asked, wiping her eyes free of the tiny water droplets.

"Because I made it so he would be safe," Azura said, brushing Morgana's hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ears.

Morgana looked away. "Owain was always there for me, watching over me, protecting me. Now that he's gone... I f-feel venerable." Her voice cracked as she spoke and she was in tears again which sparkled in the light like tiny diamonds. "Do you know what his last words to me were?"

"No, will you tell me?" Azura asked, holding out her arms to embrace her again. She felt tears welling in her eyes as well, she had a weakness for other's tears and it always brought back memories of the deaths she witnessed.

"'No matter what happens, Morgana... I'll always love you,'" Morgana said with a weak smile. She could see him speaking those very words to her in his soft, calm voice he always spoke to her in.

Tears swam down Morgana's face again as she leaned into Azura. "_Shh_," Azura soothed, looking up to avoid shedding her own tears.

-x-

The door to the physician's chamber swung open as Kadian walked in. Merlin and Gaius jumped at the sound of the door slamming against the wall. "Why isn't he dead?" she demanded, stalking over to them as they hovered over a text.

"I believe him to be a wraith," Gaius replied, stepping back to show her the image and passage on the page. "A spirit conjured from the dead."

"Where have you been?" Merlin asked since she had disappeared after the duel with Morgana and Guinevere.

"Where have _I_ been?" Kadian hissed. "I've had to pry Morgana off me, listen to my brother and father argue over Sir Pellinore taking up the knight's challenge, who, by the way, hasn't even recovered from his wounds from Othanden. What have you been up to?"

"Calm down, Kadian," Gaius sighed, resting a hand on her shoulder instantly soothing her roused anger.

Kadian shook her head. "If that monster is a wraith, then who was he?" she asked, avoiding Merlin's concern gaze that fell upon her.

"We were just going to find out," Merlin said, taking his hand and turning her gaze to him. "You are most welcome to come along."

They left the physician's chamber and set off, out of Camelot, toward the crypts that were underground. Merlin and Gaius pulled open the large, creaking doors which, when opened, expelled a foul odour from the darkness. The three stepped inside and Gaius peered down at the darkness. "I love old crypts, nothing won't be seen dead anywhere else," Merlin said aloud, jokingly as the proceeded further down the steps.

Then, the door shut behind them in a loud _thud_. Gaius glanced over his shoulder and then back at the darkness before them. "Must have been a gust of wind," he mused with a shrug before starting down the staircase which few would ever walk down unless being carried inside a stone casket to be laid to rest for all eternity. "We should've brought a torch."

Merlin turned and extended a hand toward the unlit torch which rested coldly against the wall. With a quick incantation, an orange flame sparked and licked up the wood, casting light into the darkness. "Handy," Gaius commented as Kadian smiled and instinctively took Merlin's hand, which reached for her.

"Yes," Merlin smiled, proud of himself as he waved the torch in front of him to shed more light on the declining steps before them.

Stone graves where lined throughout the burial chamber with cobwebs draped across each one varying in ages. The torchlight guided their path through the small labyrinth of graves of people whom Kadian had no idea existed. Many of them were of fallen knights that had either died within the city or had been brought back to Camelot from falling in combat. Kadian's eyes danced around, shining through the shadows on her face as if they held light themselves. She remembered hearing Vaeturthingor's voice among the shadows as he stole the very bodies which rested in these caskets. There was an odd feeling lingering in the air which drew Kadian closer to Merlin as they walked into the depths of the tomb.

"Are we breaking into someone's tomb?" Merlin asked as Gaius took the lead.

The court physician stopped beside a stone tomb, on which a figure of a man had been carved into. "It looks as if someone's already broken out."

The carved man had his stomach taken apart be a strong force, like he had taken a sword to the gut. Merlin's torch revealed the inside to be empty as Kadian peered into it. "Whose tomb was this, Gaius?" she asked allowing her finger tips to skim across the jagged ends of the fracture.

"This is the tomb of Tristan Dubois," the court physician replied, glancing up at Merlin.

"That's the name from my nightmare, Merlin. Who was he, Gaius?" she asked, setting her wondrous stare upon the elderly physician.

Gaius hesitated, but he knew that she had a right to know. "He was the brother to Ygraine, your mother," he answered with a deep, steady voice. "It seems that someone has risen his spirit from the afterlife to allow him to seek his revenge for your mother's death."

"On whom?" Kadian questioned further, stepping closer to the physician.

Gaius took a deep breath. "Your mother died during child birth, and he blamed Uther and cursed Camelot that one day he will take his revenge," the physician said, walking toward where they had come. "I thought it was the ramblings of a dying man. Come, we mustn't stay here."

"Gaius," Kadian said, stopping the physician's feet where they were. "What does this mean for Sir Pellinore?"

"It doesn't look good, I'm afraid," he replied without meeting her eyes that stared as his back, prying for some solution to end this before Camelot lost another knight.

-x-

Twilight seeped in through the window, taking the same shade as the embers that rose and fell in the fireplace. Azura stared into the flames; she had only just escaped from the weeping Morgana. Even seeing Arthur barely made her lips curve into a smile. She leaned back in the chair she sat upon and glanced over at Arthur, who was watching the Black Knight from the window. "Will you stop that?" she asked.

"What?" he asked without letting his eyes slip away from the towering knight.

"Moping about; if you're unhappy, take measures into your own hands," Azura replied, rising to her feet and crossing the room to stand behind him with her chin on his shoulder. The light left the horizon, cloaking Camelot in a dark blue shadow, only the Black Knight's black armour shone through the darkness. Azura had to look away when her eyes fell upon the knight.

"What do you suppose I do? My father won't let me take up his challenge," Arthur stated, turning away and coiling his fingers, gently, around her arms.

Azura sighed and averted his gaze. "You did not hear this from me, but..." she drifted off as she hesitantly met his gaze, "make your own challenge. Only _if_, you're really unhappy, Arthur. And, I only suggest this because I don't like seeing you like this."

-x-

Sir Pellinore met the Black Knight in combat at noon the next day. The clashing of blade and shield rang through the scarcely populated streets of Camelot, but at the chilling sound, the shadows shivered and sulked away. Every citizen in the stands were cheering on Camelot's Sir Pellinore, their hands coming together and rising into the air with every heart-jerking moment of the duel.

Kadian held Morgana's hand. The ward seemed haunted as she sat by the King, who grinned as he admired the work of his skilled knight. Images of the previous duel scarred her green eyes as the Black Knight swung his howling sword down against Sir Pellinore's raised shield.

To all their surprise, Sir Pellinore seemed to have the control of the battle's flow. He sliced at the tattered black tunic and scathed black chain, spinning under the Black Knight's raised arm. Arthur examined the Black Knight's technique, the brute strength behind each downward motion, the firm, agile footwork, and the intimidation in his stance. With each blow, he was on the edge of his seat, gripping the gauntlet on his hand.

Standing to one side was Merlin and Gaius eagerly watching the Black Knight, testing their theory on who he was and what he was. However, by the way Sir Pellinore fought, there was some doubt in their minds. "Maybe you were wrong?" Merlin suggested, meeting Kadian's wondrous stare from the opposite end of the arena.

"I hope so," Gaius replied, keeping his eyes on the knights in combat.

The Black Knight parried everything Sir Pellinore sent at him next, until after minutes of waiting, Sir Pellinore landed a blow which knocked the Black Knight's sword to the dark-brown soil. He was momentarily defenceless with nothing but air between him and the sword in Sir Pellinore's hand, which penetrated his chest in what looked like a fatal blow.

The crowd gasped and cheered as they saw the blow, even the members of the royal household smiled in delight.

Sir Pellinore stepped back triumphantly, pulling his sword free from the Black Knight's chest with nothing smeared across the shining steel. To his and every one's surprise, the Black Knight did not flinch and retrieved his sword which lay at his feet and overwhelmed the Sir Pellinore with crashing blows. Camelot's knight struggled to deflect each strong blow, but the Black Knight was unstoppable, a cruel, killing machine with no passion for mercy. Together with the beat of the drum, the Black Knight delivered to Sir Pellinore a fatal blow.

And as Sir Pellinore collapsed to the ground, stone-cold dead, the Black Knight pulled free his blood-stained sword and turned toward the king. He started to remove his gauntlet, but before it could be cast to the ground a glistening silver gauntlet clashed against the dirt.

Startled, the Black Knight looked up to see Arthur staring at him, standing before his seat beside his father, who was just as startled as the rest of the crowd.

"I will not see any more of my men die," the prince bellowed, his deep voice echoed by the beat of the drum. "I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you."

Kadian's eyes darted away from the lifeless corpse on the battlefield and to her brother, who stood, unscathed by the murmur of the crowd and the king's angered stare.

"So be it," the Black Knight said in his blood-curdling tone.

"Single combat. Noon tomorrow," Arthur stated.

Gaius caught Uther's eyes. The king was white as a ghost, and undoubtedly, scared stiff of the past that had now come to haunt him.

-x-

Arthur stood before his father, who stormed into the council chamber. "How could you be so stupid?" the king roared, stopping before his son, who had his arms crossed against his chest. "I'll revoke the challenge."

"No," Arthur said, unfolding his arms and turning to face his father directly. "The Knight's Code must be upheld. That's what you told me."

"This is different," Uther growled angrily.

"Once a challenge is laid you cannot rescind it," Arthur stated knowingly, if not obnoxiously as he avoided his father's gaze as he completely ignored every word he said.

Uther frowned. "You are Crown Prince."

Arthur replied, "There cannot be one rule for me and one for all the rest."

"I forbid you to fight," Uther growled, setting his son's stare on him again as his powerful words echoed through the chamber.

"You want me to prove myself worthy of the throne. I cannot do that by being a coward," Arthur stated, his own voice filling with his own anger and frustration.

"No, Arthur, this will be your death," Uther growled deeply.

Arthur would not hear anymore and walked toward the door, saying, "I'm sorry that you have so little faith in me, father." And as his father shouted his name, he continued to walk, untouched by anger behind the king's voice.

-x-

Kadian moved through the corridors of the palace as sly as a lynx, avoiding eye-contact with any whom she passed. The Black Knight was a wraith, Sir Pellinore had proved that with his last breaths, and now they needed to find a way to defeat it before it took another important life from Camelot. She entered the chamber of the court physician and met Merlin's stare from where he stood with his arms crossed at his chest. "You were right," she said, turning her attention to Gaius.

"I wish I wasn't," the physician sighed.

"If Arthur fights that thing, he'll die," Merlin stated.

"Arthur may be Camelot's strongest warrior, but no mortal weapon can kill that blasted creature," Kadian stated harshly as she sat on an empty stool.

"Then we must find a way to defeat the wraith ourselves," Merlin added and disappeared into his bedroom when Gaius commented on how they would accomplish such a thing. When he raced back into the chamber, he placed the two magic texts he had on Gaius' bench. "Mortal magic."

"Merlin, it's too dangerous," Gaius protested as Kadian circled around the room to gaze at the inscriptions on the pages as Merlin flipped them.

"We have no choice," she sighed, placing a hand on a page as Merlin went to turn it. "This one. Tonight, when every one's asleep. I mustn't go; it is easier for you to get out of the palace than I." She turned around as if to speak to the physician, but Gaius was no longer hovering above them. He had left the chamber quietly.

-x-

The dead of night fell upon Camelot. Nothing and no one roamed the streets, no one dared. The Black Knight stood before the arena entrance, one hand clasping a torn, black flag, and the other grasping the hilt of his hated sword. A chill breeze swept against the dirt, kicking dust into the air and into the looming shadows. To the knight's right, the young warlock slipped from the castle and into the watching shadows.

Merlin raised a hand and whispered, "_Cume her fyrbryne_." His eyes flashed gold and a wild, whipping flame appeared from nowhere. The hot tongues encircled the knight and engulfed him in a wall of crackling fire.

Merlin waited. His magic seemed to have worked; the flames were licking across the fabric clothing the knight.

But with a screech, the flames were vanquished, leaving the Black Knight completely impassive. Then, the knight turned his head stiffly and sharply to stare at Merlin through the shadows, sending chills up and down the warlock's spine as he fled the scene as a failure.

-x-

He raced through the palace hallways and rushed into Arthur's chamber. The prince was rehearsing moves with his sword slowly, replaying or adjusting the angle of his wrist of arc of each soft swing. He was anxious as ever and seemed rather annoyed when Merlin raced in, frantic.

"Merlin," he sighed, dropping his sword at his side and turning to take hold of a goblet, "remember that conversation we had about knocking?"

"You have to pull out!" Merlin exclaimed, rushing to capture his lost breath as he spoke.

"And why's that, Merlin?" Arthur asked as he took a long swig of water.

"Because he'll kill you," Merlin said with a curt nod.

"Why does everybody think that?" Arthur growled; he was tired of everyone condescending his ability to win this challenge and that he was going to die.

"Because they're right. Just pull out. You're the Crown Prince. No one wants to see you die over some stupid challenge," Merlin explained, watching as Arthur placed the goblet down and returned to preparing for tomorrow's duel.

"I am not a coward."

"I know that," Merlin sighed, cautiously approaching the prince. "I've stood there and watched you overcome every fear you've ever face..."

As his wrist rolled and his sword flashed against the firelight, Arthur replied, "That's what's required of me."

"But you are more than that... you are not merely a warrior, you are a prince. A future king. You have proved your courage, but you must prove your wisdom..." Merlin continued and lowered his voice into worry than demanding like it had been.

"I am not backing out," Arthur growled, shaking his head to relieve his mind from his servant's voice.

"Please, Arthur, listen to me," Merlin said, walking around the prince to the window. "Look at him - he doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep. He just stands there in complete silence. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"No one is unbeatable," Arthur muttered, sliding forward as his sword pierced through the air.

Merlin looked back at the prince, desperately. "If you fight him, you will die."

"I cannot listen to this, Merlin," Arthur growled, growing more and more impatient and aggravated which each syllable spoken by Merlin. His strikes grew stronger the more impatient he became.

Merlin walked around Arthur again. "I'm trying to warn you, Arthur."

Arthur turned and swung his sword. "And I'm trying to warn you, Merlin!" he snarled, holding the blade a good millimetre away from Merlin's neck.

It was no use to convince Arthur otherwise on what his mind had already made up. Merlin sighed and stormed from the room, slamming the door between him and Arthur. There was more behind Merlin's pleading than just his destiny, and deep down, Merlin knew that, but dared not to say or really think about it.

-x-

Kadian walked silently through the corridors, trying to sooth her mind that was far from ease. Occasionally, she would glance over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her, but each time it was only the shadows and dim firelight, each time except one. When she turned, she met Azura in the middle of the corridor. "Kadian," Azura said, "what are you doing up at this hour?"

"I can't sleep, like usual," Kadian sighed. "You?"

"I was debating on whether to see Arthur or not," Azura shrugged. "The knight's a... wraith, right?"

"Seems so," Kadian replied.

"Where's Merlin?" Azura asked in a low whispered.

"Dunno," Kadian sighed.

"What's _really_ bothering you?" Azura asked, stepping closer to the point where she was face to face with Kadian. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

Kadian stared into the depths of Azura's eyes, trying to read what they concealed, but they gave off nothing, just like usual. "What happens if Arthur dies?" she asked. "What happens to Camelot? What happens to you? What happens to me? Didn't he think about anyone else before throwing down that gauntlet? I wish I could see the future, both ways: Arthur lives, Arthur dies."

"You are no prophet, nor am I. Even Morgana is no help," Azura sighed, resting her palms on Kadian's shoulders, sucking away the tenseness which tightened her muscles around her bones. "However, you know the answer to those questions; you only wish that they were not true. If Arthur dies, Camelot will be in dismay and you will become Crown Princess and take the throne after Uther's death. Myself? I don't know. Perhaps, I stay, or perhaps I leave and travel the world. I can tell you now, Arthur will not die; his destiny hasn't come to pass."

"Destiny, destiny, destiny!" Kadian hissed, rolling her shoulders to rid them of Azura's hands. "As far as I know, I have no destiny, no promising future of some worth to someone. Hell, I don't even have a purpose or even a reason for being."

Azura shook her head, letting a soft sigh escape her lips. "Everyone has a purpose and everyone has a destiny. Sometimes, it is better to let ours unfold instead of knowing what will be. Good luck, Kadian; I truly hope you find your answers. I... I must go to Arthur," she spoke in a voice filled with grim, yet unique wisdom that sent Kadian's mind into a churning pool of rattling questions.

Without another sound, Azura turned and walked away, being engulfed by the shadows until she was out of sight. Kadian stared after her, wondering if it had actually been Azura speaking or the Great Dragon which dwelled as a captive several layers of rock beneath her. _What is my destiny?_ was all Kadian asked herself as she continued on her way; this time with a destination of the dungeons.

-x-

The haunted figure of Uther Pendragon sat within the empty council chamber. At the rattle of the window, he jumped to his feet and his hand shot to the hilt of his blade. He expected the wraith to appear and smite him where he stood and end this reign of terror on Camelot, especially the royal family. Nothing but a chill breeze escaped the looming shadows and darkness of the night. The breeze had blown out the candles and Uther turned to retake his chair.

His eyes fell upon a ghastly figure and a pair of deep, drowning blue eyes. Fear swam through his veins as he stared at her, the enchantress with dark hair like night and a red-wine dress. "I should have known," he said, realizing her involvement in the happenings.

"It is more than I'd hoped for, Uther. Soon, Arthur will be slain. You will have sent him to his death," Nimueh sneered proudly with her pink lips curving into a grin as her voice rang from her throat.

"Their deaths are on your hands. You conjured that monster," Uther stated, paralyzed where he stood.

"Always so righteous, Uther, but never to blame," Nimueh smiled, taking one step closer to the king and not a step further.

"Haven't you tired of revenge?" Uther questioned.

"Haven't you?" Nimueh retorted blinking as her stare grew intense with all the memories she suffered through. "You began this war when you threw me from the court and slaughtered all of my kind!"

Uther, freed from his paralysis, stepped forward. "You brought this on yourselves. You practiced evil."

Irked, Nimueh tilted her head. "I was your friend, Uther! You welcomed me here!"

-x-

"_And you betrayed that friendship!_"

Kadian stopped, hearing her father's angered voice ringing from the depths of the council chamber, which she thought to be empty at this hour. Her journey to the dungeons would wait. She felt a presence, a dark, powerful presence which drew her closer to the alcove leading to the chamber. The presence was familiar; she had felt it before and only now recognized who and what it meant. Only once before had she felt such power, now that she thought, and that was the first day that the court of Mercia had come to Camelot; the day that Merlin had been poisoned by an enchantress whom Gaius referred to as Nimueh.

"_I did as you asked! I used the skills you so desired to give your _barren _wife a son you craved!_" A feminine voice hissed from the chamber and Kadian immediately knew the face that it belonged: Kara, as she had known her by, the pretty maidservant to Lord Bayard, who, in time, was revealed to be Nimueh.

-x-

Uther's eyes softened as the word "wife" escaped Nimueh's angry lips. Even his voice filled with sorrow as he spoke. "Never speak of her in that way. My wife was worth a thousand of you. And you took her from me... leaving me with more than I asked which will remind me every day I breathe of what you had done."

"She died giving birth to your children. It was not my choice. That is the law of magic. To create a life, there had to be a death, the balance of the world had to be restored," Nimueh sneered.

"You knew it would kill her!" Uther growled, slamming a fist upon the table.

-x-

"_No, you're wrong!_" Nimueh shouted her voice as sharp as a blade. Kadian took a step away from the door, she did not want to hear more, but she had to: this would answer many annoying questions. "_If I had foreseen her death and the terrible retribution you would seek... I would have never granted your wish for a son. Your greed alone has brought this to you, Uther._"

-x-

"I wish you hadn't." Uther said, dropping his gaze to the floor by his feet. The image of his wife, Ygraine, stained his sight and he found it unbearable to stare at the cause of her departure any longer. He remembered holding her lifeless body in his arms, cradling her as he rocked back and forth crying.

"You wish you didn't have a son?" Nimueh smiled. "Well, that'll come true tomorrow."

"I will not let you take him," Uther stated, lifting his gaze as he turned away. "Not after what you have put me through."

"That is your choice," Nimueh replied, her smile enlarging. "I have watched so many people I love die at your hand, Uther Pendragon. Now, it is your turn; starting with your son, then, your pretty, _true_ daughter."

Uther whipped around to set a dark, bloodcurdling stare upon the enchantress, but she was no longer standing in the shadows with a blue glow. The space was empty and another chill wind flew through the chamber.

-x-

When the wind escaped from the chamber from the crack between the door and the floor into the alcove, Kadian had already gone. She had heard what she needed, and then some. Magic had killed her mother, deep magic in which she had never believed could be possible. Now, this new, mind-boggling information changed her outlook on everything. This magic she had was part of her mother's death, and as she ran through the corridors to her chamber, she wished that she never had it, because maybe, in its place, she would have the warm embrace of a mother.

-x-

Merlin stood within the palace library, dissatisfied with the text he searched through. It was late; the moon had reached its peak some time ago. Prior to entering the library, Merlin had stopped to tell Kadian that his mortal magic had failed, but she was not in her chamber, nor anywhere he searched thereafter. He placed the text back on the shelf and heard a noise coming from the depth of the hall. He waited and listened before returning to rummaging through the shelves.

A book escaped his grasp and he bent down to retrieve it. He froze when he saw a pair of feet beside him. And ever so slowly, he looked up.

Geoffrey of Monmouth was glaring down at him and did not remove his stare as Merlin rose with the text in his arms. "How did you get in here?" he demanded.

"The door was open," Merlin answered quickly.

"No, I locked it," Geoffrey stated, staring down at the text Merlin held.

"Well, someone must've opened it," Merlin replied, still gazing at the man with an innocent face.

Geoffrey lifted his stare from the text. "And you thought you'd come in and help yourself?"

"I was looking for a book..." Merlin said. "For Gaius."

The genealogist's stare relaxed and he took the book from Merlin's arms and set it on the shelf.

"He thinks the Black Knight is a wraith," Merlin stated.

"Then, Arthur's in grave peril," Geoffrey commented, his eyes scanning the mess that Merlin had made of the shelf.

"Which is why I'm here," Merlin sighed and paused for a beat before continuing. "I need to find a weapon that can kill the dead."

Geoffrey took in a sharp breath before turning to face Merlin again. "I have read of such things in the ancient chronicles."

Merlin's face brightened like a dog would when a piece of meat was waved before his snout. "Really? What did they say?" he asked.

"Several fables speak of ancient swords..." Geoffrey said drifting off as he remember each fable one after another as if he was reading them off the page of their book.

"That can kill the dead?" Merlin asked.

"The fables speak of swords which can kill anything - alive or dead," Geoffrey clarified, running a hand down his violet robe.

"Can you show me one of these fables?" Merlin wondered.

Geoffrey turned to him. "Methinks..." he drifted off and then nodded, returning to the shelf of books behind him. He continued to search through the books.

"I'm kind of in a hurry," Merlin stated as he watched.

"Yes, you young people always are," Geoffrey sighed, removing one text from the shelf and crossing the floor to place it on the desk. Dust leapt into the air as the text collided with the wooden table, dust that made Merlin sneeze as he took a chair.

Geoffrey flipped through the text, page by page at a snail's pace. Merlin watched the rough pages rise and fall with the motions of the old man's hand. His chin has against the back of his hand that was on the table, while his other hand rested on the top of his temple, scratching his head as his impertinence grew.

"Yes, here we go..." Geoffrey said and Merlin picked up his head. "_And Sir Marhaus looked upon the great sword begotten in the dragon's breath and found it passing good_..."

Merlin leaned forward, pointing at the words which Geoffrey had just read aloud. "What did you say?" he asked.

"'_And Sir Marhaus_'," Geoffrey replied, staring at Merlin, trying to read the thoughts in the young's mind.

"Not about him..." Merlin said, rising to his feet slowly, "The dragon."

"_The sword begotten in the dragon's breath...',_" Geoffrey repeated, shifting his curious gaze to the words inscribed onto the parchment. "'_He found it passing good.'_" He looked, but Merlin had already gone. He scoffed and sealed the text. "Always in a hurry."

-x-

Arthur stood in the window alone; he was staring down at the Black Knight who towered in the courtyard like an immovable boulder. There was doubt in his eyes as he stared down at his opponent, who showed no emotion, not even the breath of life. He heard a noise and turned sharply to see Azura watching him with blue eyes drowned in her true feelings.

"I don't want you to fight tomorrow," she said.

"You're worried about me," he smiled, slightly amused by her change in heart. He turned back to gaze down at the knight.

"Yes," she continued, stepping toward him with silent steps, "I don't know what it is, Arthur."

"I have to do this," Arthur replied, dropping his gaze to the brick of the windowsill.

Azura nodded. "I understand, but I hope that you understand... why I will not come to watch you tomorrow."

Arthur twisted slightly, just enough for his gaze to reach her face. It was cast in sadness. The candles in the chamber glistened off the water that welled in her eyes and the downward curve of her soft lips.

"I do not doubt your skill, your ability. I-I just cannot watch another man I love die in that place. It scares me, Arthur, scares me more than anything," Azura whispered in a tone that masked the deeper sorrow; by the dumbfounded expression on his face, she doubted that any other her words had reached him. She turned to leave the chamber; she had said what she wanted to say.

The door creaked back as she pulled it open, exposing the hallway to her. As she went to take a step, she heard a voice call after her. "Please, don't go," Arthur said.

Azura spun around.

-x-

Gaius stood in his chamber, preparing for bed. There was a knock on the chamber door and he turned to see the king push it open and walk, hesitantly, into the physician's chamber, where he would scarcely be seen. "You knew that one day all this would come back to haunt me," Uther said, shutting the door behind him before crossing the bare, wooden floor to Gaius, who placed the towel in his hand onto the bench in front of him.

"Not quite so literally," Gaius replied, meeting the king's troubled stare.

"I should've listened to you. You told me no good would come of using witchcraft," Uther stated, stopping several feet from the physician.

"You wanted an heir. You thought it was the only way," Gaius replied, remembering the fateful day as if it was only the day before.

"Nimueh told me there would be a price."

"You wanted to know that the price you would pay was Ygraine's life."

Uther winced at the memory of his beloved's death, feeling the stinging pain in his chest like he had that day. "I cannot let Arthur die..."

"Then you must stop the fight."

"No..." Uther said sternly, shifting his gaze away from Gaius' for only a moment. "I will take his place."

"You realize what you're saying?" Gaius questioned, raising a white-grey eyebrow.

"Ygraine died for him," Uther stated, "and so must I."

"Uther..." Gaius protested letting his voice drift away from he realized the certainty and necessity in the king's eyes.

"I have no other choice."

"There must be another way."

"No!" the king curled his fingers into a fist and let it fall onto the bench to his left. "My death will stop the wraith and Arthur will live." He set his eyes on Gaius. "It means that you will be the only person left who knows the truth. You must swear to me that you will keep your oath."

Gaius waited a moment, finally relenting. "I will take it to my grave," he stated with a slight nod.

"You always were a good friend, despite my temper," Uther smiled, uncurling his fingers and rested a stern hand on Gaius' shoulder.

"I always thought that would be the death of you," Gaius chuckled deeply.

Uther managed a weak smile that slowly faded as he spoke again. "I must ask you one last favour..."

-x-

Kadian sat in her dark chamber, staring out the window as she ignored the weariness that slowly sucked away her energy. The voice in her head was not her own, but that of Nimueh and her father, speaking angrily in the throne chamber. All the secrets which had been revealed to her were not for the faint-hearted, and even she partially regretting walking down that very corridor at the time. She had changed into her off-white nightgown, and removed all of her jewellery.

"You look so sad, now that you know the truth of your magic's origin," a haunting voice whispered from across the chamber, behind Kadian.

The princess turned and set her eyes upon the priestess' face, the pretty sculpture it was. "You're Nimueh, aren't you?" she asked stupidly, startling by the new presence and the magic aura that radiated from the woman's pure-white skin.

"Indeed," Nimueh replied, stepping from the shadows. "I knew that you were in the corridor, the entire time. If only Uther had noticed..."

"What do you want?" Kadian hissed, rising to her feet.

"You're magic is far more powerful that you think, far greater than the measly spells you cast with the young warlock, Merlin," Nimueh grinned, her red lips glistening in the silver moonlight. "You're magic was given to you by the magic of life, a gift that few can... receive. You do not know how much the laws bend for you. You can do things that mere magicians can only dream of, or die trying."

"Leave here," Kadian demanded. "I do not want to see your face every again in Camelot, do you hear me?"

"Why so hasty?" Nimueh wondered, walking to stand before Kadian.

"You took my mother from me," Kadian sneered and swung a hand toward Nimueh. Instead of touching flesh, she touched the air, breaking apart Nimueh's body. It was only a hallucination, nothing more than a figment of Kadian's startled, scared mind. She stared at the air before her, waiting for the image to appear again, but only darkness filled the spot and the rest of the chamber as a cloud stretched across the shining moon.

__-x-

Merlin stepped out onto the lip of rock overlooking the great cavern, where the large, golden dragon sat perched on a pile of rubble.

The great dragon raised his eyes. "Merlin!"

"Do you know why I'm here?" Merlin asked, grasping a bundling in his arms, wrapping in a faded, red piece of fabric.

"It may surprise you, Merlin, but my knowledge of your life is not universal," the dragon chuckled, deep and loud like thunder.

"It's to do with Arthur, his life is in danger. He will die unless I can make a weapon that can kill the dead," Merlin stated with eyes that begged for help in his quest, his destiny.

"So what have you come to ask of me?" interrogated the dragon as he lifted his mighty skull off of his front claws, setting his golden eyes onto the bundle held in Merlin's arms.

Merlin bent down on one knee, placed the bundle on the ground and unravelled it, revealing a silver blade with a tarnished handle. Even in its raw, tarnished state, it had a simple beauty. It was the best sword that Guinevere's father had ever crafted, and the maidservant had given it to him upon his request in order to save Arthur's life. He reached down to pick it up, but it leapt before his eyes. The sword hovered in the air before the great dragon, glinting the firelight of the torch Merlin had brought with him to guide his feet to the cavern.

"Will you burnish it?" Merlin asked, rising to stand straight as he examined the way the dragon admired the raw beauty of the blade. "To save Arthur?"

The dragon kept his large eyes on the sword, considering doing as Merlin requested. "That is your destiny, young warlock, not mine," the dragon stated, shifting his eyes only for a moment onto Merlin.

"But if Arthur fights the wraith and dies, Camelot will have no heir. I will have no destiny," Merlin replied.

The dragon considered Merlin's request further and spoke with a voice that could quell a storm, "A weapon forged with my assistance will have great power."

"I know..."

"You do not know. You can only guess. You have not seen what I have seen. If you had, perhaps, you would not ask this of me," the great dragon interrupted, setting his now-fierce eyes on Merlin. A puff of smoke expelled from his narrow nostrils and spiralled in the air like a cloud until the dragon breathed it in again. The jewelled eyes of the dragon had seen many things, good and bad, but never would he divulge such horrors and miracles for, perhaps, they were too great for a human's ears to hear again; centuries of knowledge lingered in his mind and thus, he held the greatest power of them all.

"What are you saying?"

"In the wrong hands, this sword could do great evil. It must be wielded by Arthur and him alone," the dragon growled in a low voice, one that sent shivers up and down Merlin's spine. It was a warning: the consequences would have them rue that very day.

"I understand," Merlin nodded.

"You must do more than understand," the dragon stated, flaring his nostrils; he grunted at Merlin's ignorance, but yet, he felt he could trust the young warlock for he was indeed destined for great things. "You must promise."

"I promise."

The dragon brought his head back and exhaled an almighty blast of brilliant fire. The sword was temporarily lost within the spiralling, consuming inferno. When the flames receded, the sword was shining like finely cut and polished diamonds - the torchlight flashed off it, almost blinding Merlin as he stood in awe as his eyes took in the amazing sight of the sword. He turned his head away and when he looked up again, the sword had been returned to him. It was lying on the cloth blanket, where he had unravelled it. He reached down and retrieved the sword from the ground, wrapping it in the red cloth.

And as Merlin turned to leave, he heard the stern voice of the great dragon, "Heed my words."

-x-

Arthur still stood before the window, gazing out at the Black Knight who stood, towering, in a haunting, nerve-racking stance. The emotions which swam through him were evident, even though he would deny them openly. He sighed. "Zu, listen..." he said softly, shattering the silence in the chamber, "I...I need to tell you something... something that I've been meaning..." He paused, struggling to find the words that would form the sentences in his thoughts. "It's more of a question, I guess... I dunno how... Zu?"

He turned, hearing nothing from behind him, half-thinking that she had left. However, she was lying on his bed with her long, thin legs bent back and her arms embracing her chest. Her eyes were closed and her yellow hair cloaked her face with thin wisps, slowly shifting with every calm breath.

Arthur had not realized how late the night had progressed. He walked over to her, lifting her gently to pull the blankets from under her. For a moment, he thought he had woken her with the way she shifted her shoulders, but she still slept soundly. Draping the blankets over her figure, he brushed her hair from her face and kissed the top of her head softly. As he walked back to the shadow-stained window, Arthur could not help but think about what Azura had said to him a little while ago and the ripple effect his death would have on Camelot, and possibly, Albion entirely.

If he lost, and he really stressed the small probability, he would lose her in more ways than one. He would never hold her in his arms nor feel her soft skin beneath his fingers. If he died, he could very well loose her to another man who would never love her as much as he did. Where ever he went to after death, the darkest place, or even the shining golden city, he knew that he would miss her, and regret putting her through the pain, the sorrow, and the depression that already clouded her pretty eyes from all the death they had witnessed.

Arthur turned, hearing the chamber door creak open and the voice of the court physician. "I've brought you something that might help you sleep," Gaius said, entering the chamber with a small, sapphire-blue phial in his grasp. He noticed Azura out of the corner of his eye and lowered his voice to avoid waking her.

"I'm fine. I don't need it," Arthur replied, shaking his head.

Gaius removed the cap from the phial and stepped closer to Arthur, holding the phial out for him to take. He was not going to take "no" for an answer. "Here. It'll relax you; it'll take the edge off your nerves."

Grimacing, Arthur took hold of the phial and downed its contents in one gulp. "I wouldn't drink it for pleasure," he said, lowering the phial from his lips as he tongue tried to rid his mouth of the horrible taste.

"Why don't you sit down for a moment?" Gaius suggested, taking the phial and placing it on the table before waving a hand toward the empty spot on the bed beside the slumbering Azura.

"Mind you... if you forget the taste... the effects are..." Arthur began to say, raising his eyebrows in means to keep his eyelids from closing. He plonked himself on his bed, succumbing to the sedation. "Quite enjoyable."

"Lie back," Gaius said and Arthur rested his head on the pillow. "How're you feeling?"

"Mmm..." Arthur managed to slur as his eyes rolled and his head felt light as air.

Gaius watched Arthur until he finally drifted off and his blue eyes were hidden. He turned and walked toward the lightly swaying door, removing the key from the door lock and shutting it behind him. As he turned to depart down the hall, he locked the door from the outside, trapping them both inside.

-x-

The sun seeped over the dark horizon, shedding a golden-pink light over the slumbering kingdom. The Black Knight stood as stiff as a board, still griping the tattered black flag in his right gauntlet. His dark-sheltered eyes watched as townspeople began to prepare the arena for the fight which he was to win because it was only prince he was fighting. There was a drummer standing to the far side, ready to beat his drum.

The beats echoed through Camelot and the stands were filled. A drugged Arthur still slept in his chamber, with Azura curled up beside him like a cat, both unaware of the preparations that slowly came to a conclusion.

Kadian left her chamber, shutting the door silently behind her skirt. She greeted Morgana with a warm, half-hearted smile and they headed for their places beside the king's chair to watch a fight that would go down in history. The light was bright and she kept her lips in a firmly pressed line, not wanting to speak or say anything that would set her angered, wild emotions loose. If she told Morgana, the ward would never look at the king the same and most likely tell Guinevere, who would tell Merlin, who would ask Gaius and the entire kingdom would soon know what trickery Uther did in order to have an heir.

They sat on the hard benches, folding their hands in their laps as they waited, watching the Black Knight whose flag and cloak was removed by two servants and carried away, out of sight.

-x-

Merlin stood in the Armoury, preparing Arthur's armour for battle. The slow rataplan of the drum bounced off the stone walls, echoing like the clashing of steel blades. He unwrapped the burnished sword from its blanket. It shimmered in the day's light as Merlin held it in his hand. Suddenly, the door to the Armoury opened and Merlin turned, expecting to see Arthur, and possibly Azura (if he was able to convince her), but instead, his eyes fell upon emotionless Uther Pendragon.

"That's a fine blade," Uther acknowledged, shifting his cold eyes onto the shimmering blade in Merlin's hand.

"It's for Arthur," Merlin smiled, proud of his work.

"He won't need it today," Uther replied in a grumble as he turned away from the servant to take in the dark surroundings.

Merlin looked confused and the facial expression did not escape the king.

"I will be taking Arthur's place," informed Uther as he admired the shine of his son's armour that lay out on the bench.

Merlin's eyes widened as he realized the sword was meant only for Arthur. The thunderous words of the great dragon haunted the back of his mind. "But, sire..."

"Prepare me for battle," Uther ordered with a weak tone.

"But Arthur should be the one..." Merlin protested.

"No," Uther snapped, "the grievance is with me, the fight is mine."

"I do not have your armour," Merlin stated, placing the shining sword back in its blanket and covering it.

Uther pointed to Arthur's armour, which was apparently too small to be of any use to him; it would have fit perfectly was he twenty years younger. "This will do. It's likely to make little difference."

Hesitantly, Merlin strapped on a breast plate. Uther seemed to be in a trance as he was suited in the silver armour - like he was a man on death row, coming to terms with his fate. He remained silent as he strapped the bracers and hauberk on, struggling to secure it well enough to protect parts of the King.

"I'll get you your sword," Merlin said, turning to rush from the Armoury after securing the last strap.

Uther shook his head and threw back the blanket covering the shimmering sword. "This one will be fine."

Merlin shook his head furiously as he became horrified. "No, sire... You don't understand... that one was made specifically for Arthur."

The king took the blade in his gloved hand and examined the way it dazzled. It was almost unnatural. "Who made it?" he questioned.

"Uh... Tom the Blacksmith."

"It's worthy of a king."

"You'd be better off with a sword you trusted."

Uther slowly wielded the sword, watching emotionlessly as it sliced through the thin light-rays and twinkled like the North Star. "It has an almost perfect balance... Tom is not the Royal Swordsmith. I'm surprised Arthur went to him."

"It was me," Merlin stated quickly, receiving a look from Uther that was full of curiosity. "I felt he needed a better sword."

Uther looked at Merlin, surprised at his reply. "You do show him incredible loyalty."

"It's my job, sire," Merlin shrugged with a faint smile.

"But you go beyond the line duty," Uther pointed out, watching the blade for another moment.

"Well... you could say there is a bond between us," Merlin mumbled, barely loud enough for the king to comprehend, let alone hear.

"I'm glad..." Uther sighed, hearing a heavy beat of the drum. "Look after him, will you?" Without another word or flicker of anything that could show that he was still human, he set off for battle, taking the burnished sword that was meant for Arthur and Arthur alone.

-x-

Uther walked indifferently into the tournament ground and stopped, letting the crowd erupt in surprised gasps and startled stares. The drummer ceased his momentous rhythm. Kadian exchanged glances with Morgana and Guinevere, neither of them had expected this of the turn of events. Uther started his stride again with visible tension, arriving to stand before the Black Knight who turned to face him.

"You can have what you want - the father, not the son," Uther sneered as he met the dark visor of the rival knight, the animated form of his wife's deceased brother.

Stiffly, the Black Knight took a step back, drawing his hell-blade and awaited the duel to begin. Uther placed his helmet over his temple, giving him little protection against the brute force that he would meet. A hushed silence fell upon the spectators and Kadian gripped her skirt; even though she looked at her father with hatred, she knew, now, that Uther was ready to face the price for his unspeakable actions twenty-one years ago.

The battle began with a heavy, downward strike from the Black Knight, strong enough to bend the king's knees to the point where Kadian could picture her father falling into a split. The drummer began his thunderous rhythm again, which matched that of the shriek the two swords squealed when they collided.

-x-

Arthur began to stir as the sound of the drum seeps into his chamber from the tournament ground. He sat up and grabbed his head. The drug left him with a pounding head and blurred, messed-up senses, like a bad hangover. His fingers combed through his messy hair as he turned to see Azura still sleeping peacefully in a tiny ball. It was then that he realized that a drum was being beaten. He rushed, stumbled, to the window and gazed out, angered at what he saw: his fight being fought for him.

-x-

Uther and the Black Knight traded blows, their swords reflecting the sunlight as they soared through the air. They were two gladiators engaged in ancient warfare, neither holding the upper hand for more than a second before the other retaliated. The king handled the battle especially well for his age and the rust that stained his skills.

Kadian scanned the gathered crowd, even the ones who stood because everyone had come to watch the duel. That was when she saw _her_, staring in the hair back with her pretty face cloaked in a periwinkle cloak. Kadian recognized her by the hypnotic effect of her sapphire eyes. Nimueh watched the battle with greed and vengeance in her eyes and a crooked smile curling the sides of her red lips.

-x-

Arthur rushed to the closed door and found it to be locked from the outside. He kicked at it in vain, wondering _what the hell is going on?_ His eyes trailed over to Azura, who stirred slightly and rolled over, bringing her legs up to her chest and shrinking the ball she placed herself in.

-x-

The Black Knight swung ruthlessly at Uther, who parried and countered with great skill, one that had met the oil-can, and he now held the flow of the battle. Merlin watched the action intensely, reacting as the blows met.

The Black Knight's assault was unrelenting, and he showed no signs of weariness or weakness. Before the people of Camelot's eyes, the sword in Uther's hand fell and clattered against the cobbles. The king was defenceless and reached to retrieve the blade from the ground. The Black Knight sliced at his arm, striking the silver plate.

Uther stumbled back, reacting with pain and the Black Knight closed in for the kill. Only a shield was in between the knight and the king and was used to beat away the knight's harsh, well-aimed, blows. These last attempts were desperately heroic against each shrieking cry from the Black Knight's sword as it crashed down upon the dark shield like a rock-slide.

-x-

Arthur shook and kicked the door violently, cursing at the stubbornness of the door that would not open no matter the force behind his blows. His aggravated cries woke Azura and she sat up with a start, gasping for breath as if she had escaped the clutches of a monster. She looked at him through squinted eyes and then at the light that peered in through the glass. The drum was beating loud and deep. Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened and she raced to the window and peered out, seeing the helpless state that the king was in with nothing but a shield against the brute strength of the Black Knight.

"If you did this-" Arthur growled, slamming a palm against the door.

"If _I_ did this?" Azura hissed, whipping around to face the accusing Arthur. "How dare you!" She stormed over to the door, shoving him out of the way without a care in the world. Removing a pin from her hair, she picked the lock, flinching at each clap of thunder made by the drummer.

The moment the lock clicked open, Arthur raced from his chamber leaving Azura crouched low to the ground with the pin, bent, in her hand.

-x-

Nimueh's crooked smile grew as the Black Knight, her wraith, drove Uther toward the wooden barriers; the king was doomed. The Black Knight lunged forward with a deathly blow, and somehow, Uther stepped out of the way and came up behind the knight. With a strong blow from Uther's gauntlet, the Black Knight's helmet flew off, revealing the hideous, nauseating wraith that hid behind it. With fluorescent eyes and black rippled flesh, the wraith let out a screech, high-pitched and loud.

The wraith came forward again with strike after strike after strike, driving the king back with the harshness and unnatural strength of the blows. Uther fell onto his back at the strength of the steel which beat down upon his shield, his only protection left from certain death. The dazzling sword was only a foot or so away, whispering for him to take it up.

Down the strikes continued and the crowd gasp, even Kadian turned her eyes away from the watching Nimueh. The knight's sword rose into the air for one last, impenetrable blow, and it fell like a rock-slide...

Alas, Uther's heart raced as he saw the point of the wraith's sword centimetres from his nose. The metal had pierced through the shield and remained stuck there. The wraith pulled the sword back, unable to lose it from its capture. Uther slid his arm out of the shield and rolled to grab the sword that called to him.

"Die a second time," Uther growled as he stood with sword in hand. He stuck the sword through the wraith's breastplate. As he pulled the sword back, the wraith opened its abnormally large mouth and its final breath hit Uther square, causing him to stumble back.

The wraith threw its head back and let out a screech as started to burn and then exploded into black, shimmering dust.

Merlin's eyes widened as the flames disappeared and the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. The sword was everything the dragon had promised.

Kadian's eyes swept across Merlin's ecstatic face before they reached the crowd of commoners; Nimueh had vanished.

An exhausted Uther with sweat pouring down the sides of his face looked down at what remained of the wraith - an empty suit of armour.

-x-

Gaius stood beside the king inside the council chamber, dressing his wounded arm. Uther was smiling, still engrossed in his good luck. "I thought you said a wraith couldn't be killed," stated the king, shifting his beaming gaze onto the physician, who finished securing the linen to the wound; only a speck of blood seeped through.

"Yes, it was remarkable," Gaius nodded, looking at the sword which lay on the table beside the king. "Is that a new sword?"

"It's the best I've ever fought with," Uther nodded, taking the sword in his hand and handing it to Gaius to examine it. "I was interested in those markings, there."

"On one side it says 'take me up'," Gaius informed, reading the wondrous inscription on the flat side of the steel. "On the other 'cast me away'."

"What does that mean?" Uther wondered aloud.

"Where did you get it?" Gaius stated quizzically, almost demanding.

"Merlin gave it to me," Uther answered, smiling at the sword he was triumphant with. "It was forged for Arthur."

Gaius' eyes widened, but their conversation was interrupted by Arthur's entrance; he did not look happy. Gaius quickly packed his supplies and as he withdrew from the chamber, he said to the king, "That should heal pretty quickly. I'll redress it tomorrow." With that, he vanished before Arthur could lay a hand on him.

"Thank you, Gaius," Uther called after the physician, while slipping his tunic over his head. "Thank you for everything."

Arthur turned to his father. "You had Gaius _drug_ me!" he growled, his anger apparent in his low voice. "_I_ was meant to fight."

"No, you weren't," Uther replied softly as he slid off the table and finished redressing in his "royal" attire.

"The Knight's Code...!"

"Be damned!" Uther growled, whipping his gaze onto his son, sensing his anger. "I believed you would die. I could not take that risk. You are too precious to me. You are worth more to me than anything I know... more than this entire kingdom... more than my own life."

Arthur was taken aback for he was completely shocked by the way his father had spoken to him, about him. He had never seen his father like this, even as a child. It was always orders and looks of disapproval. "I've always thought... well..." Arthur went to say, but this new side of Uther was messing with his thoughts.

"What?" Uther asked.

"That... that I was a disappointment to you," Arthur confessed, dropping his gaze to his boots, but looked up when his father spoke.

"That is my fault, not yours," Uther said, resting a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder. "You are my only son." He smiled. "I would not ask for another."

Arthur was unsure how to react and Uther retracted his hand from his shoulder. "I heard you fought pretty well," he said, obliviously switching the conversation from their messed-up, complicated relationship.

"Thank you," Uther smiled proudly.

Arthur prepared to head off and looked at his father. "You should join us for training, sometime. Sort out your footwork."

Uther tilted his head to the side. "Oh, I'll _show_ you footwork," he grinned, nearly landing a kick on Arthur's rear. Arthur moved swiftly away and ran from the room. Uther smiled after him, happy that for the first time in Arthur's twenty-one years, they could share an opportunity like this.

-x-

Emerging in the adjacent hall, Arthur smiled, happy that for once, he truly knew what his father thought of him. But then, as he went to take a step, her froze. Staring up at him was Azura, whose eyes pierced through him like knives with her inner fury.

"Huh, _footwork_," she said harshly and turned away, starting down the hall without a care in the world.

Arthur was released from his paralysis. "Azura, wait!" he called, running after her. When he caught up to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his chest.

"What do you want, Arthur?" she hissed, trying to pull away from him, but his embrace was too strong.

A grin appeared on his face, one that she could not see, as he spoke, softly, in her ear, "I want you, right now."

She elbowed him in the gut and his arms released her instantaneously. "Apologize," she demanded, keeping her back to him as she crossed her arms against her chest and let her shoulder fall sharply.

"For what?" he asked, his voice slightly higher because of the elbow to the gut.

"Oh, you know what," she hissed, hiding the amused smile on her face.

Arthur sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. "Alright, I'm sorry, okay?"

"What are you sorry for?" Azura replied, moving her head so that she could have one eyes watching him.

He sighed again, this time while stepping forward and embracing her again, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Sorry for blaming you for locking my chamber door to prevent me from duelling," he replied softly, setting affectionate eyes on her that seeped through her harsh defences with ease.

Her arms dropped to her sides and she spun around in his grasp. "Good. And, I trust that you know that I'd never do such a thing, e_ver_; you should know me well enough by now," Azura said, thinking about slapping him across the face, but she held back that pleasure.

All he did was smile and shake his head slowly. "I know," he sighed. "I just keep forgetting."

She reached up for a kiss, but when he made means to drag her down the hall, she pulled her grasp away. Her cheeks were so red; it was like she was on fire. Sighing, he kissed her again, cupping his hands over her burning cheeks. It was the middle of the day. He desire would have to wait.

-x-

_So, everything turned out all right in the end,_ Kadian thought, strolling through corridors of the palace with no particular goal in mind. _And I did nothing to help, absolutely nothing. Maybe I should speak to Gaius about... Nimueh and my father. He's been 'round long enough; he should know what happened to my mother and the secret._

Her mind was made up and she spun on the balls of her feet and headed for the physician's chamber. It was late in the evening. Merlin was probably in bed by now, sleeping like a baby, sprawled out on his tiny bed. Only the physician was awake in his chamber, preparing for bed. When he saw her, he told her that Merlin had retired for the evening about an hour ago when he was taking some medicine to the king, and it was best not to wake him.

"It's not Merlin whom I wish to speak to, Gaius," Kadian said, shockingly more formal that she normally would. The door shut softly behind her, not wanting to wake the sleeping Merlin in the bedchamber. "I came to speak to you."

"What is it, my child?" Gaius asked, stepping toward her with a concerned stare.

"I know that magic was used to give my mother children," she stated softly and she stared at him with unrelenting eyes. Gaius' eyes widened and he glanced over his shoulder frantically to see if anyone was around to their conversation. "I know that Ygraine died because of the law of magic."

"How did you come by this?" Gaius interrogating, bring his voice into a harsh, low whisper.

"It does not matter," Kadian replied, averting his stare. "I want to know: whose life did I take?"

Gaius turned her gaze onto him with a gentle movement of his hand. "You took no one's life," he stated, turning eluding her stare now that beamed with further curiosity on a subject she knew little about. He felt, as his lips formed his forbidden words, that at any moment, he would be executed for treason. "It is my opinion that you were conceived during their last attempt. In his haste to give Ygraine a child, Uther confronted Nimueh because you gave her no signs of pregnancy. Nimueh did as you father requested and held her vicious tongue on the matter of you... I knew that she must have known of your existence, she used to speak with her eyes. You must not speak to the king of this. If he learned that you know of this, it will be my head on the mantle."

"I-I understand, Gaius," Kadian said, nodding her head up and down as she took in his words, the cold truth that they were. She turned, without another word and departed for her chamber. Now she knew what she was: a mistake.

-x-

That next morning, Merlin retrieved the burnished sword from the Armoury and rode out, into the dense wood surround Camelot. The Great Dragon had called to him that evening, when the court physician had left to bring the king something for his pain from his wound. He told the dragon the truth, that it was not Arthur whom had wielded the sword, but Uther. The dragon raised his massive, golden skull into the air and roared to the heavens in fury and betrayal. In a deep, rattling voice, he demanded that Merlin, the untrustworthy warlock, take the sword far from Camelot, to a place where no man could find the sword. Merlin had betrayed him.

Merlin rode to a beautiful lake and dismounted his horse with the bundle of the sword in his arms. Gently, he unwrapped the blade like it was a new-born. It glistened magnificently in the rising sunlight. The silver blended with the gold inscriptions as he held it in the yellow rays. The raw beauty the sword held was astonishing, incomparable to any other blade. One day, he knew that it would find its way into Arthur's hands to be wielded for the good of Camelot and the well-being of Albion.

With a great swing of his arm, the sword soared through the air, reflecting the blue, shimmering water as it flew. Elegantly, it kissed the surface of the water and sank down, with tiny bubbles reaching for the surface with its descent. It reached the depths of the lake and the hilt wedged itself between to submerged stones.

And there was the resting place of Excalibur, the sword of the greatest king who would ever rule Albion.

-x-

**A regal is a medieval organ with reed pipes and two bellows.

_**Next time on**_** Forbidden Magic and Desires:**

_**Merlin is reunited with his mother after a band of raiders sweeps through his home village. It is up to him and his closest friends and family to save the village of Ealdor. Tensions rise between Kadian and her father, now that the truth of her mother's death has been revealed. She now faces the hardest decision in her life: to stay or leave Camelot forever?**_


	13. Episode Twelve: Fight for Ealdor

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is affected by their presence.**

In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

Several leagues from Camelot sat a peaceful village, where the villagers worked the harvest and lived as a giant family. A small girl rode on a makeshift horse, only dreaming of what riding a true horse was like. Clothing was strung across a line down the entire main strip on which all the small houses sat. Men carried wood and sacks of grain to their stores for the coming winter. The sun was high in the sky, blinding with its rays like sheets of gold.

A stampede of horses stormed into the village, kicking up the soft dirt and clouding the air with a thick, brown haze. The men dropped their work and the women grabbed the children, rushing them inside. There were five horses and five men, each armoured and prepared for battle if one should arrive. A tall, thin yet muscular man looked about, at the scrambling and screaming villagers who trembled and fled from his presence. There was a pasty, white scar across his right eye, crooking like a bolt of lightning. He wore a black fur cloak fastened with, undoubtedly, a stolen brooch that matched those which fastened his men's. In his hand was a loaded crossbow.

His men dismounted and ran through the village, kicking down doors and rummaging through wagons of hay and the few belongings the villagers held as their own. "Find him!" the man ordered with his voice harsh and scratchy from travel and lack of water.

And his men did as he demanded and threw a scrawny farmer to the ground before their leader. In his arms, which fell to the ground as he was shoved, were several sacks of grain and a basket of vegetables from the harvest. "It's harvest time!" the raider exclaimed as he looked upon the man who scrambled to pick up the vegetables. "Where's the rest of it?"

The farmer looked up with eyes wide with horror. His face was smeared with dirt and his shaggy beard held bits of dust. "We only kept what we need to survive," he stated weakly as he stumbled to his feet. The basket shook in his grasp.

"Survive?" the raider questioned with a frown. "I'll be back in one week, farmer. And I want to see all of it!"

"You can't take our food!" A woman protested as she stormed forward, holding her green skirt up. What hair the white wrap around her temple did not conceal was dark as night and she had dark eyes that were weary with age and working to survive. "Our children will starve! I won't let you do this." She reached up to the saddle and grabbed hold of the grain that the raider had snatched from the scrawny farmer. "You're not taking any of it!"

His hand came up and hit her across the face, throwing her to the dirt where he thought she belonged. The farmer bent down to help her.

"Hunith!" a villager shouted as he ran forward with his blonde hair swept back by the wind. He fell to the earth limp as stone and dead with an arrow lodged into his chest, where his heart had been beating. The villagers that huddled near the houses cowered as one of their own collapsed to his fate, a fate that could very well be their own.

The raider looked down at the farmer and the woman, Hunith. "I give you one week, don't you dare disappoint me," he snarled and turned to face Hunith. "I'll see you later, _sweetheart_." With a flick of the reins, his horse galloped into the wood with his followers closely behind, leaving the village trembling with their harsh words and violent actions. Even when they were out of sight, the villagers stood paralyzed, all except for Hunith who rose to her feet with the side of her face beat red - it was going to leave a nasty, black and blue mark for some days.

-x-

In Camelot, things were surprisingly peaceful. People laughed and children played in the lower town without a care in the world. The high walls had never seen danger or even a subtle threat to vanquish the merriment. This left the king moderately content that, in turn, made all those around him ecstatic. Most of the memories of the wraith had died away for the few that knew of its presence.

Kadian, for one, did remember it and the entire outcome of Nimueh's doing. Throughout the weeks, she did not look into her father's eyes nor at him when he addressed her, but at the floor by her feet. For a moment, she thought that he knew why her haste had increased, but no, he was still oblivious to everything, especially the magic that _his_ actions blessed her so painfully with. She did not speak to Merlin about it, not Morgana, and not even Azura. The secret that she knew was between her and Gaius, and she planned to keep it that way.

When the sun was high, she accompanied Merlin in the market to begin her rounds. As he took an empty pail to the well, she spoke with several of the merchants that were positioned around the market, getting the latest information on the new comers and traders that were staying in the walls of Camelot. There was no one of utmost importance or needed to be thrown out. She sighed with relief.

"Mother?" Merlin asked from behind spinning Kadian around with the twist of his words.

Kadian watched as he set a full pail down and embraced a woman, who's dark hair matched his and, Kadian noticed, they shared the same nose. What concerned her dearly was the blue and purple bruise that marked her innocent, harmless face.

"Who did this to you?" Merlin asked, reading Kadian's mind as she came over to help his mother with the few belongings she carried on her back.

He brought his mother, Hunith, to Gaius' chamber with Kadian following behind, interested in her story. Gaius was pleased to see his younger sister and embraced her warmly and shared the same concern that Merlin and Kadian had. They listened to Hunith's story about the raiders and the threat they made to the village. The children were frightened, Hunith said, and she was afraid too.

Merlin turned his eyes onto Kadian, and she knew what he was about to ask her. Before he could utter a word, she nodded and said, "I'll get an audience with my father for you, Hunith. I... promise."

With her heart tightening into a knot in her chest, she told Merlin she would be back later and left the physician's chamber to seek out her father. She needed to swallow her pride and speak to Uther, even though just thinking his name made her want to pull out his heart with a sword and hold it high for everyone in Camelot to see. Arthur would rule the kingdom better than her father ever could, she knew that, but killing was against her nature.

The posted guards dipped their heads as she approached in a fine gown that portrayed her for who she was, despite the magic: the princess of Camelot. The guards pushed open the doors and she walked into the council chamber where her father sat alone, consuming his lunch. He looked up at her as she stared down at him. "Father," she said with haste, "I am _sorry_ to intrude."

Uther sat back in his chair. "What is it?" he asked in the same tone as she, wiping his chin with his napkin.

Kadian took in a deep breath, breaking the connection between their visions. "I request an audience with you on behalf of a friend. She has travelled far and is in need of help. I would not ask this of you, sire, if it did not involve life and death."

Uther thought for a long, agonizingly silent moment or two, resting his head in the palm of his left hand. "Very well," he said in a mellow tone that both frightened yet pleased her. "Tomorrow, let your friend rest the evening."

"Thank you, father," Kadian said softly and bowed her had as she took walked toward the door that the guards held open. He dismissed her in a harsh voice, nearly a threat if she refused not to.

As she walked through the corridors, Kadian could not help but wonder whether he understood how she came to be in the world. Gaius did not explain it to him, but Uther must have suspected something because, as Nimueh had said, she only gave him what he asked for: a son.

-x-

Azura looked around her chamber with the blankets on her bed crumbled together at her waist. Yes, she was aware that it was midday. She swore that someone, if not Arthur, had entered her chamber to see if she was alive, let alone awake. Even with the good-night's rest she had, Azura was still exhausted and she wondered if she would be well-rested if she slept for the rest of the day. However desiring the call to do absolutely nothing and sleep the day away was, Azura heaved herself to her feet and crossed the chamber to get dressed.

Just as the skirt of her dress touched the floor, there was a knock on the door, followed by the smooth, alluring voice of Arthur that made her shake in pleasure. "Enter," she smiled, reaching for the comb that lay by the large, gilt mirror. Azura combed her hair as straight as she could before scoffing and tying it back as Arthur reached around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Nice of you to join us," he laughed, kissing her as she turned her head to gaze at him.

"It's your own bloody fault," she grinned returning the kiss with another. "I swear, Arthur, if you keep me awake another night, I'm going to kill you."

"No you wouldn't," Arthur smiled, spinning her around.

"Oh yeah? Try me, Arthur, I dare you," she grinned, brushing his hair away from his eyes. It seemed to her that he had only just woken up as well. His lips curved down, into a pout, and she tried to stand her ground, but for herself unable because his face was too irresistible. She sighed and then kissed him, deep and for what seemed to be an eternity. "Alright, I give," she said after pulling her lips away. "Shouldn't you be on patrol?"

"I got off early," Arthur replied.

"Really now? Or did you just happen to say it was over just to get away? I thought so," Azura smiled, pulling out of his grasp. "I guess it's no matter..."

"Surely you can spare some time for me," Arthur said, following her as she roamed around her chamber, picking up jewellery and sliding the bracelets onto her wrists and the golden necklace that held the aquamarine over her neck.

"It's not a matter of whether or not I can spare time. It is whether or not you wish to accompany me on a walk through the market and the lower town," she smiled. "I feel like getting out, into the sunlight for once. Perhaps you should too. You're looking pale."

"Oh, don't start _that_ again," Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes as he followed her to the door. He rubbed his neck self-conscious.

Azura's smile grew larger as she laughed. "I won't, but personally, I find it..." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down since he was annoyingly taller than she was and ever so softly, she whispered in his ear, "very _sexy_."

Arthur shook as she stepped away and left the chamber with a come-and-get-me grin.

-x-

The next day, Hunith stood before the king, garbed in a green gown that suited her status as a poor villager. Closest to her stood her son, Merlin, and her brother, Gaius, along with the other members of Uther's court and several knights had positioned themselves throughout the chamber. To Uther's left stood Arthur in his red jacket and tunic with his arms crossed, though he was intrigued to hear the poor woman's story. Beside the prince stood Azura dressed in an ivory silk gown with her hair up and her eyes gazing down at Hunith in her state of utmost need.

Below the platform on which they and the king were, Kadian and Morgana stood near Hunith, both sympathetic and teary-eyed as they listened to the tale. Kadian had slipped into a wondrous pale blue gown that was a lightened shade of the dark gown Morgana wore. Together, as they stood, listening to Hunith's tale, they looked like they should: princesses.

"The winter's are harsh," Hunith said, folding her hands before her, "and there are many children. Some of them just won't be strong enough to survive. We barely have enough food as it is and... if Kanen takes our harvest... our children won't live to see another summer..."

Kadian held back the urge to tear. This barbarian would rather murder innocent children than to scrap by on what food he could find in the wood.

"Please," Hunith pleaded, "we need your help."

Uther lifted his head from his hand as he went into deep thought, processing the woman's story through his mind and the possible actions that he could take. "Ealdor is in Cendred's kingdom, your safety is his responsibility."

"We've appealed to our king," Hunith stated warily. By her tone, it was evident that she disliked him. "But he cares little for the outlying regions. You're our only hope."

Uther looked down at his thighs, since he sat, and entered thought again. Suddenly, he looked up and Kadian half expected him to say something that resembled the heart that was shrivelled up in his chest. "I have the deepest sympathy for you and would have this barbarian wiped off the face of the earth."

"You'll help us?" Hunith said with her face brightening with joy.

"I wish I could," Uther replied and the brightness in her face darkened into hurt shadows.

"Surely," Arthur stated, "we could spare a few men."

Uther sat back in his chair, bring his hand up to his chin. "Resources are not the problem," he grumbled, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"Then, what is?" Kadian snapped, holding back most of the rage that filled her glare she cast on him.

"Ealdor lies beyond the ridge of Aesctir," Uther explained, replacing his hand on the arm of the chair. He leaned forward slightly and adjusted his legs to be seated more comfortably. "For an army of Camelot to enter would be an act of war."

Hunith dropped to her knees and all those present set their watery eyes upon her; none dared to shed a tear in the presence of the king, even Azura found it difficult. "I know you are a good king," Hunith stated softly with her voice waning. She gazed at Uther from the floor, "A caring man. I begging you, help us, please."

"The cord we've struck with Cendred was years in the making." Uther stared down at her with shadows cast over his eyes from the angle of his brow. He spoke in a low, grizzly voice that was relentless. "I cannot risk hundreds of lives for the sake of one village. I am afraid Camelot cannot help."

As a silence grew, Hunith dropped her chin to her chest, defeated in her moment of need; she had failed to bring help to her friends and her family whom she knew all her life. Kadian set a stare at her father, one that would have made anyone tremble if they knew what knowledge, what leverage, she held over him. She stepped toward Hunith and lifted the poor woman to her feet, noticing the near-matching glare that Merlin sent to Uther. Without a care about what the others would think, she walked with Hunith from the chamber, despite the lust to protest her father's decision to hang neutral in the life and death of nearly forty villagers. She thought of all the young, innocent children who could not grasp the meaning of what was happening, let alone the dark reaper that waited for them around the corner.

-x-

On the balcony extending the throne chamber stood Arthur and Azura. His arm reached across her back and his hand sat on her hip as she leaned against him, watching the clouds as the rolled by with the wind. They were talking, Merlin noticed as he approached them, and Azura turned her head when she heard his boots against the stone. Murmuring good-bye to Arthur, she left them silently, sparing an apologetic glance to Merlin before she vanished into the palace.

Glancing at Merlin, Arthur lifted his hands off the railing and crossed his arms at his chest. "I'm sorry," Arthur stated as his servant came up beside him. "If it were up to me, we'd be on our way there right now."

"Well, you tried," Merlin shrugged with a heavy sigh.

"I wished Camelot was able to help people regardless about how far away they lived," Arthur replied truthfully. He did not shift his gaze from the descending sun.

Merlin turned to Arthur after a moment of silence. It hurt to say this, knowing that his destiny lies in Camelot, but as he spoke, Arthur turned to him, "I'm going back to Ealdor."

"Of course," Arthur nodded and returned his stare to the horizon. He could see the mountains that basked in a dark shadow with only a faint, golden glow haloing its rigid peaks. There was a valley to the northeast, slowly catching fire from the warm colours of the sunset. All the destinations he could see were those he could ride to and save from raiders, but beyond his sight sat Ealdor.

"...It's been an honour serving you," Merlin stated, breaking Arthur from the trance of the horizon.

Arthur turned his gaze again, puzzled. "You'll be coming back?"

"Well, she's my mother," Merlin shrugged, bobbing his head from side to side like he was guilty. "I've got to look after her before anyone else. You understand?"

At first, Arthur could not find the words to reply. He never had a mother, therefore anyone to truly look after, but nonetheless the prince replied, "I'd do the same." He paused, feeling this strange emotion twist his stomach. "Well... you've been terrible. Really, I mean it. The _worst_ servant I've ever had."

His comments made Merlin laugh and even a small smirk curved his own lips. "Thank you, sire," Merlin said, bowing his head slightly, and he turned to walk toward the pathway to the palace. However, he stopped, hearing Arthur called his name.

"Good luck."

-x-

Azura knocked on Kadian's chamber door and it swung open at her touch. She entered and looked around, seeing that the chamber was significantly messier than any time than she had stepped into it before. Kadian was throwing clothes and several other belongings into a burlap sack. She looked up at the sound of Azura's footsteps and her hands froze in the air. "I thought I'd find you packing," Azura smiled, kicking the door shut as she crossed the chamber.

"If you've come to-"

"Really? You are talking to the girl who journeyed into the Forest of Balor despite everyone's wishes, orders, and what-not," Azura smiled, waving her hand dismissively in the air. Kadian nodded. "I thought you would go to Ealdor."

Kadian pushed the sack out of the way and sat next to Azura who took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Yeah," she said absently, "if there is anything I can do to help those people, I'm going to do it. If a war happens to come out of it, so be it. At least these people don't have to suffer under a tyrant. Why are you here, if you aren't going to talk me out of it?"

"You truly love Merlin, don't you?" Azura asked as she combed a hand through her hair. Her eyes danced around the chamber until the fell upon Kadian's complexion.

"More than anything in the world." Kadian stood and began to pace for she could no longer sit still. Merlin was the only person she could be herself with, the only person who did not judge her because she was Uther Pendragon's daughter and Prince Arthur's sister. She could tell him her secrets and they would remain as such until the day he died. She felt like Merlin truly understood her dilemma that she woke with every morning.

"When you leave..." Azura said softly, "will you come back to Camelot?"

Kadian stopped before Azura, meeting her gaze that was on her. "No," she stated firmly. "There's no Camelot without him. At least, out there, I can use my magic without Uther breathing down my neck. Surely, the villagers wouldn't find out, but at least I could sleep with assurance that I'll wake at morning's light and I do not have to worry about which breath will be my last."

"Your nightmares haven't stopped, have they?" Azura rose to her feet and had Kadian sit. She snapped when she tried to stand up again.

Kadian shook her head. "They've gotten better, but I still wake up two-three times a night."

"They're my fault," Azura sighed, "and I'm truly sorry for that. Just remember, they are not real, just figments of your imagination and fear."

"Nightmares hurt you, remember?"

"I try not to and those were completely different, brought on by a curse," Azura stated, shaking those memories from her mind and wiping her hands on her dress like to clean them. She shivered, though, and massaged the knuckles on her hand. "Enough of that. Don't let them control you, you're much stronger than that."

"Thank you... for everything," Kadian smiled, standing up to embrace her warmly. "Promise me, though, that you'll invite me back."

"For?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know that it'll happen. I want to be here when you marry Arthur. Don't roll your eyes, Azura."

Azura's face was so red, Kadian thought she might explode from embarrassment. "Fine, _if_ that happens, I'll send word to you. Promise me, that you'll be safe in return, study magic, and break all the rules."

"You're terrible," Kadian smiled as she stepped away and turned to the sack that waited idly. "I have to pack, we're leaving in the morning."

"Do you have a weapon? If you need one, I've got a couple 'round my chamber," Azura asked with a mad grin. She had a dagger or two in her trunk and two swords that rested recently polished on the mantle.

Kadian smirked and reached under her bed and retrieved two blades that shared the same sheath. Azura coiled her fingers around one black leather grip where Kadian's initials had been imprinted. The sword had keen blade that held a silver hue, which glimmered in the faint sunlight that poured into the chamber. The guard was a pair of silver angel wings, inlaid with dark-coloured steel.

"These are wonderful. Who made them?" Azura asked as she admired the blade. Then, after taking several test-swings, she rested the blade beside the sheath.

"Guinevere's father made them for me," Kadian replied, skimming her fingers over the stainless steel blade. "My father would have my head if he knew I had them."

"Well, I'm not going to tell," Azura smiled and turned for the door. As the wood parted from the wall, Azura looked over her shoulder. "Good-bye, Kadian."

"Good-bye."

-x-

Early the next morning, Kadian woke before the sun could shed its first light across the horizon. She dressed in a blue tunic, that Merlin loaned her, and a pair of leggings she had stowed away in the depths of her wardrobe. Taking her belongings she had packed and the sheath her swords rested in, she moved to the open doorway and took one final sweep of her chamber that she had lived in since she was a baby.

The sun was peering over the high hills when Kadian entered the lower town with her boots silent against the gravel that formed the road. No one had stirred from his or her slumber; she did not know whether she could face their faces when she knew that she would never see them again. Merlin had tried to convince her to stay, but she could not be persuaded. She knocked on the door to Guinevere's house and the maidservant pulled the door back and smiled, beckoning her inside.

Inside, Merlin was testing out a sword that Guinevere had given to him by courtesy of her father. He tapped his hand on the steel. "It's very _swordy_," he said, swinging it before him.

Kadian jumped back as the steel sliced the air in front of her. "Ooo, I'm trembling," she smiled, dropping her things into the corner. "Have everything you need?"

"Yeah..." he said, loosing his train of thought when he saw the odd outfit she wore. "Are you sure that you want to come?"

"Merlin, I'm sure," Kadian replied and turned to Guinevere who held a suit of mail across her arms.

"This is for you," Guinevere said. "I thought you'd might make some use of it."

"Thank you, Gwen," Kadian smiled, embracing her once she placed the mail into her sack. "I'll never forget you."

"Stay safe, that's all I ask," Guinevere said and released her. "You should leave as soon as you can."

Kadian nodded and lifted her bag onto her shoulders, only for Merlin to take it from her and add it to the load he had to carry to the stables. She smiled weakly and took his hand as they left the home. Guinevere watched them disappear down the road and sighed enviously.

Hunith met them in the stables, three horses were saddled and ready to make the journey to Ealdor. The one horse that Hunith had brought with her that she borrowed from a fellow villager was a bay stallion, poorly groomed, but looked fast like any other horse. Kadian mounted a white horse that, at first, she mistook for Azura's, but realized that the mare was not Starlust. Merlin secured her bag to the saddle and mounted the chocolate horse he was taking to Ealdor.

Hunith whispered something to Merlin that Kadian missed. With that, they exited the stables, then Camelot as dawn slowly crept into the sky, brightening their path.

-x-

Over the high hills, across the wide, green plains, and over the shallow rivers they travelled with a warm, spring breeze kissing their faces and throwing their hair back. The trees that engulfed them held leaves of luscious green and bark of the warmest browns. Kadian felt shockingly relieved to be this far away from Camelot, where even the palace could not been seen in the far distance. It was soothing to have a strange wind in her face, one that was blowing from a source that not even the means of magic could explain.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hunith watching her with a suspicious complexion that Kadian was unable to make sense of. Perhaps, she was wondering what relationship she and Merlin had that would cause her to drop a life of luxury and journey to Ealdor to live as a peasant.

Merlin rode next to her, enjoying the freedom of the outdoors, and noticed his mother watching him and Kadian like a hawk and became overwhelmed with self-consciousness. He thought about what she had asked after Kadian left to get an audience with Uther for them. Hunith had asked why a princess like Kadian was hanging around with the prince's servant. Merlin, trying not to lie to his mother, said that they were only friends that met through Gaius. There was a glimmer in her eye that saw straight through his vague and truthful-lie, but she did not press him further and only asked if she knew of his gift; and Merlin lied. _She'll find out soon enough_, he thought and pushed his horse to take the lead as they entered the dense wood.

-x-

Arthur paced around his chamber and Azura's gaze followed him as she sat with her legs crossed at her knees in his chair by the fireplace. He had started pacing near an hour ago. "You want to help them, don't you?" Azura said, uncrossing her legs and standing up in his path. "Then, go. A war won't start if only you venture out."

Arthur placed his hands on her shoulders. "My father wouldn't permit..."

"Uther can't forbid you if you don't ask permission to go," Azura grinned. "Those people could really benefit from you; and Merlin would be very grateful; even Kadian will be glad."

"So, she did run away with _him_," Arthur sighed, sliding his hands off her shoulders and beginning to pace back and forth again.

Scoffing, Azura turned him around when his back was to her. "Stop pacing, it is making me dizzy," she sighed. "The only reason she left is because she knows that, out there, she can be herself, free and able to help them. Merlin only plays a minor role in her choice."

Arthur sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, dropping his head into his hands and slipping his fingers through his blonde hair.

Azura sighed deeply, keeping herself from screaming at his incompetence, and pulled him to his feet. "You're going, end of story," she said. "Get suited up. Ah, don't even _think_ of protesting; you know you want to go."

"I want you to stay here and not get involved in any of this."

"Fine."

"You can't tell anyone where I've gone."

"Of course. Just, when you return, I want to hear the story of how the brave prince saved the citizens of Ealdor. Promise?"

"Promise."

Nodding, he dug out his mail that Merlin had shined before he resigned and slipped it over the padding. As he dressed, Azura packed what he would need for the journey, skipping around the chamber and picking clothing out of the wardrobe and even off the floor.

They walked to the stables, quiet as mice, and Arthur secured his supplies to the saddle. Then, he caught her face in his hands and kissed her deep and passionately like it was to be their last. Reluctantly, Azura stepped away and he mounted his horse, taking the reins in his hands to keep the horse from dashing away.

"Good luck," Azura said, gazing up at him, "and, please, stay safe."

She watched him ride off, after Kadian and Merlin. There was a lust to follow in the depth of her chest, but she had promised to stay out of the affairs and so she must. Then, Azura turned and returned to the palace to act as if she knew nothing of Arthur's whereabouts, a task that she found difficult.

-x-

As sunset fell across Albion, they set up camp in the middle of a clearing surrounded by thick trees. There was a chill breeze that swerved through the trees and Kadian pulled her cloak around her, shielding herself from the cold. Merlin sat beside her after he started the fire with a pair of rocks that was lying nearby; he had to make it seem that his magic was still a secret. Kadian turned to him and he moved closer. "Merlin, when do you plan on telling her?" she whispered as Hunith prepared a small dinner for them.

"Not yet..." Merlin sighed, running a hand through his hair, messing it. "I don't know how she'll take it... its the _magic_, that has me worried."

"I will tell her if you hesitate for so long. If she, after that, is comfortable with me knowing, let alone... staying with you... I will reveal my secret," Kadian replied, running her own hand through his black mane to mess it more because it looked odd with only a small portion sticking in the air.

Merlin sighed again and flattened his hair, despite the pout that curved her lips. "I will tell her... when the time is right," he stated, turning to his mother who had nearly finished preparing their small meal. "Are you sure you want to do this? You're leaving everything, just for me."

"Because it is you, Merlin, I will leave everything," Kadian smiled, tightening the cloak around her. "Though, it'll be a while before I am used to the cold."

Merlin chuckled and reached for one of the blankets they had brought. He draped the blanket over her shoulders and rubbed his hands down the sides of her arms. "It doesn't take long. Until then, you can take mine," he smiled and brushed the back of his rough hand against her cheek, kissed her forehead, and went to help his mother.

They ate, mainly in silence, as the sun fell behind the horizon and cast grey and navy blue across the sky where several stars started to twinkle against it from their distance homes. Kadian retired for the evening and bundled herself in the blankets she had brought and one of the blankets that Merlin draped over her when she shivered in the early stages of her sleep.

Merlin and his mother sat by the dying fire that he poked with the blunt end of a stick. Hunith turned to him and looked deep into his eyes that were glued to the flames. "She shouldn't be here," she whispered, not wanting to wake Kadian. "She's the princess of Camelot."

"Mother," he chuckled softly, turning his gaze onto her. "She's the only person I know who isn't frightened of Uther."

"It doesn't matter to Kanen that she's a woman," Hunith stated with a hint of pity in her soft voice.

"I know, but there was no talking her out of it," Merlin replied. He shifted his gaze onto the blue mark that maimed the side of her face. With his fingers, he traced it gently. "I will make him pay for what he did to you."

"Promise me you'll be careful," she said, brushing his hand away. "No one can find out about you."

Merlin nodded his head slowly, inconspicuously glancing over at Kadian, and turned back to the fire. "They won't. They never do."

Hunith kissed the top of his head. "Get some rest," she whispered and rose to her feet and took her spot near Kadian to rest for the night. As she wrapped herself in the blankets she had, she watched as Merlin lifted the end of the stick and blew the embers into the air.

And when he said "_Draca_" she could not help but smile faintly. The tiny orange embers took the form of a dragon, the dragon that symbolized Camelot, before they faded at the chill of the night's breath. After several moments of being drowned in his own thoughts, Merlin tossed the stick into the dying flames and lay down beside Kadian and buried himself beneath the single blanket he had left. And before he shut his eyes to sleep, her caressed her face with a hand, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

It was not that he did not want her to live with him forever in Ealdor. Merlin could not fathom why she was so keen to drop everything she held to her name to run away with him.

-x-

The night progressed until complete darkness consumed them and the cracking wood that had fed their fire. Merlin tossed and turned in his sleep, unable to become comfortable with the twigs and leaves that poked his back. His eyes shot open when he heard the faint sound of approaching horse hooves. He scrambled around his area for the sword that Guinevere had provided him. It took him time to located and removed it from its scabbard that was, now that he noticed, had been situated underneath his thigh.

Kadian rolled over, putting her back to him.

Merlin rose to his feet and glanced at his surroundings as a horse snorted in the near distance. He stalked forward, checking over his shoulder to see if either Kadian or his mother had woken from the sound as well; they had not. The wood that surrounded them was cloaked in a near-transparent mist. Hisses and screeches of nightwalkers spiralled about him, pushing his heart to beat faster and faster in his chest.

He spun around, hearing a branch snap, but realized it was from him stepping on it. His grip on the sword tightened as the muscles in his back tightened.

The point of a sword pressed against his back. Merlin shut his eyes, preparing to be welcomed by death.

"I'd ask you for money, but I know you don't have any," a voice said behind him. It was a voice that he knew all too well, but this time, he was pleased to hear it.

"Arthur!" he exclaimed and spun around with the blade in his hand whipping through the air, nearly decapitating Arthur who ducked beneath it.

"Put the sword down, Merlin, you look ridiculous," Arthur growled, taking the sword from Merlin before he, or something else, was killed.

They returned to the clearing and Arthur took a seat with Merlin beside him on a fallen log. The prince asked about how much further Ealdor was from their position and Merlin replied that it was but a few hours ride.

"How many men does Kanen have?" Arthur asked, poking the small fire he made with the same stick Merlin had blown the embers off.

"I'm not sure," Merlin answered. "I think from what my mother said, maybe as many as forty."

"Get some sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow," Arthur said, tossing the stick into the flames.

Merlin stared into the flames. "Thank you," he said and Arthur turned to him. "I know you didn't have to come."

Arthur nodded and rose to his feet. "Get some sleep," he repeated, more like an order, and retrieved the blankets he had brought.

-x-

That morning, Kadian was the first to wake. She was shocked to see Arthur sleeping away from the three of them. Instinctively, she gazed around to find Azura, but she was nowhere to be found. At first, she thought that Azura was hiding in a tree or something, keeping watch in case their camp was to be stumbled upon, and then she realized that there was not a happy, mystical feeling in the air like there normally was when she was nearby.

Kadian nearly jumped when her brother stirred and woke up with that dazed, confused look she saw way too often. She went over to him, running her fingers through her light hair. "I'm glad you came," she said in a low whisper, not wanting to wake Hunith or Merlin. Quickly, she embraced Arthur, releasing him only moments later because she knew he did not like her doing so. "Where's Zu?" she asked.

"In Camelot," he replied in a mumble as he rose to his feet and rolled up his blankets for travel.

Enough had been said and Kadian nodded her head as she went to wake Merlin, who woke Hunith.

They skipped breakfast and got an early start on the rest of their journey to Ealdor. As Arthur took the lead, Kadian took the rear with Merlin. Hunith had been just as surprised as she when she saw Arthur standing in their camp, dressed in shining mail. Both Merlin and Kadian knew that with Arthur, they would be able to defeat Kanen; it was a small hope, but hope they needed.

However, as they rode, Kadian could not help but feel that Azura should be among them. Only then would she feel completely confident in succeeding in defeating this tyrant.

-x-

Several leagues away, Kanen and his men entered the village, tearing about and looking for the man, Matthew, that they told to have the rest of their demands ready. His men scoured the village, looking inside the poorly built homes and piles of wood. Kanen turned to Matthew who was in the grasp of one of his men. "You better not be hiding anything from me," he sneered.

A man leapt into a pigpen and took hold of a pitchfork, digging through the hay that coated the ground. He moved the layer of hay away and revealed a wooden slab to be covering a ditch that the villagers had dug to the earth. Inside the ditch were sacks of food that the villagers had tried to hide and save for the harsh winter to come.

"Kanen!" the man shouted, pulling to bags up and positioning himself to show them.

Kanen, gritting his teeth and moving his tongue against the inside of his cheek, turned to Matthew who threw his head back in defeat. "Please... we have to eat," the farmer pleaded.

"Oh?" Kanen replied, acting like he was touched, even sympathetic.

"And re-sow the fields for next year," Matthew added, wincing at the heated glare that hung beneath Kanen's pasty white scar. "We only kept the bare minimum. Everything else... you can take."

Kanen slowly bobbed his head up and down, contemplating Matthew's words. "That sounds fair," he acknowledged and for a moment, it seemed like he had changed into a decent man; only, he had not. He drove his elbow into Matthew's gut and then again, down and hard against the villager's back.

A dagger soared through the air as Kanen lifted his axe to punish Matthew, pinning a wooden pole that was inches away from his face. Kanen turned and stared at the person who had nearly ended his life so quickly and easily that he felt ashamed of himself for but a moment.

It had been Arthur Pendragon. The prince rode into the village with his blonde hair thrown back by the wind and drew the sword that rested on his belt. Quickly, he dismounted and met one of Kanen's men in battle as the man, whose face was concealed by a black mask, charged at him with a raised blade. Behind him, Merlin dismounted and glanced quickly at the place he called home before drawing his sword and blocking feebly, the strikes of another man under Kanen's rule.

"Kill them!" Kanen ordered, surprised at the retaliation that came to his men out of nowhere.

Kadian dismounted and drew one of her swords from its sheath. The sleek, keen blade crashed against the heavy blade of one of Kanen's men. She slid the blade down the steel and over the guard and cut into the man's hand. He instantly dropped the blade and retreated, holding his hand that dripped blood onto the ground. Kadian spun around, hearing heavy footsteps of another man, and did the same, only this time he did not retreat like a little girl. She brought her elbow up and threw his head to the side as she sliced the blade against his exposed stomach. The man dropped on his knees and Kadian turned away from him as he bled to death.

Merlin was pushed back against the side of a house with his arms close to his chest, barely holding onto his sword that kept his opponents sword away from his throat. "_Ahatian_," he hissed as his eyes stared down at the enemy blade. His eyes glowed gold as his magic flowed through and from him with the words of the spell. The enemy blade turned orange with heat and simmered like it was inside a raging inferno.

The man that pinned him released his grip on the hilt as the flesh on his palm burned. He stumbled back in pain and received a fatal slice to the gut from Merlin.

Across the way, Arthur battled another man, easily overwhelming him and splitting him through from the shoulder down. He spun and was unable to react to the man who struck down with his sword. However, before he took his last breath, Kadian stepped before her brother, both blades in her hands and parried the blow away with one as she slit the man's throat with the other, spouting blood onto her tunic and the ground. "Bring back memories of when I used to beat you?" she grinned, walking away to get in on more of the intense action.

"That never happened!" Arthur shouted after her with a short sigh.

A horse whinnied as Kanen mounted his steed. "You will pay for this... with your lives! All of you!" he proclaimed, tugging on the reins of the horse, pulling its head toward the exit of the village. He rode away with the remaining men he had.

The battle was won.

Merlin turned and watch the raiders ride away with their tails tucked between their legs. Standing near him was a tall man with a round, boyish face that was framed with short chocolate hair and a pair of wondrous green eyes. The man stepped toward him. "Still up to the same old magic tricks? I thought I told you we didn't want your lot round here."

Merlin turned his head like he was guilty of being found out, but the man's lips curved into a smile as he laughed. "I missed you, too, Will," Merlin laughed and was embraced by his old friend.

"How've you been? I hear you're skiving for some prince," Will grinned, releasing Merlin with a smile on his chin.

"No, I wouldn't say I'm a skivvy," Merlin shook his head.

Both turned at the sound of Arthur's voice. "Merlin! Gather the villagers. I need to talk to them," he stated and turned away, sheathing his sword.

"Yeah, in a minute, I'm just talking..." Merlin called after him and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that puzzled, unbelieving stare that Kadian sent him as she wiped the blood off her hands.

"Now, Merlin! There isn't much time!" Arthur shouted back.

-x-

Kadian listen to her brother speak to the people. She stood to his left with Merlin beside her. He said they need to be prepared because Kanen was going to come back with twice as many men as he had that day. As he spoke, one villager, who she saw Merlin speaking to earlier, Will, stepped forward and asked aloud if anyone else in his village was wondering for Arthur was. Her brother introduced himself as the prince of Camelot and then her as his sister and princess. When the word "princess" rolled off her brother's tongue, she felt like he had given the word a completely different meaning that just being related to one of most powerful lords in all of Albion; when he spoke her title, she felt heat rush to her cheeks.

Will argued with Arthur for several minutes about what was the right action to take for the safety and better judgement on behalf of all the citizens of Ealdor. He referred to himself as "Prince William of Ealdor" and Hunith made an attempt to quiet him by saying that they were here to help all of them. Will would not have any more of this talk and stormed off, into his home with Merlin following him.

Kadian sighed and set her eyes onto Hunith, who said, "If I die, then I want to go out fighting."

Several others said the same, agreeing with her. When the murmurs died down and Kadian stepped forward. "Then, if you will allow us, we wish to help," she said in a much kinder tone that her brother had. Her voice seemed to lift the mood of the villagers from the grim feeling of their death lingering over their shoulders.

-x-

Merlin entered William's house as his friend picked up the belongings that the raiders had thrown across the floor. "I know how you feel," he stated gently, skimming hiss fingers over the head of a chair. "When I first met Arthur, I hated him. I thought he was pompous and arrogant."

"Nothing's changed there then," Will grumbled, lifting up a stand where a suit of silver metal was held up. On top of the mail sat a faded-green tunic embellished with William's family crest.

"But, I grew to respect him for what he stands for, what he does," Merlin continued.

Will spun around and set a dark glare on him. "I know what he stands for! Princes, Kings, the whole lot of them!"

"Hey!" Merlin growled, stepping toward his friend. "Don't you dare put Kadian in that category."

Will stepped back at his tone of voice. Kadian, he assumed, was the blonde woman that stood with Arthur; he really did not listen to what the Prince had said. He watched as Merlin shook his head and his fierce eyes softened.

"Don't bring what happened to your father into this," Merlin stated as he walked around the table he leaned against.

"I'm not!" Will snapped, slamming a fist down. "Why are you protecting him some so much? You're just his servant."

"He's also my friend," Merlin stated. "And don't think for one second that he takes advantage of me, that I just clean up after him and do whatever it is he says. He's not like that."

"We'll wait until the fighting comes around and see who he sends in to die first. I guarantee you it won't be him," Will snarled, motioning with his finger toward the door.

"I trust Arthur with my life."

"Do you? So, he knows your secret then?" Will asked. The met in the centre of the house, nearly face to face. They knew each other well, perhaps too well for the other's liking. But Merlin averted his gaze and turned away.

"No," Merlin muttered and Will grinned. "But Kadian does."

-x-

There was little food to go around for dinner that evening, but Kadian helped Hunith divide the meal between the four of them. She ate her share warmly, even though it tasted wretched when it trickled down her throat; the after taste was just plain awful. They did not stay up for long after the moon started to ascend. She refused to sleep in Hunith's bed and took a place on the floor, beside where Merlin had unravelled his blankets. Arthur took the spot on the opposite of Merlin, with his feet next to his head.

She listened to their conversation. It was the first time she heard them speak about something other than laundry or how horrible of a servant Merlin was. They talking to each other like friends, except when Merlin address him as "sire".

Merlin spoke about life was in the village how simple it was compared to the complex life in Camelot was. Everyone chipped in and as long as there was a roof over their heads, they were happy. Kadian smiled as they spoke. The way Merlin described the common life sounded like a dream-come-true. Here, everyone cared for one another, even if, deep down, they wanted to slit each other's throats; it was not that way in Camelot. People were greedy and hasty and would kill to get what they want.

"You'd hate it," Merlin said.

"No doubt," Arthur chuckled. "Why'd you leave?"

"Things changed," Merlin sighed, gazing up at the dark ceiling.

"How?" Arthur wondered. When Merlin did not reply, he attacked him with his foot for answers; Merlin quickly gave in.

"I just didn't fit in anymore," Merlin replied with another sigh. "I wanted to find some place I did."

"Had any luck?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Merlin said, turning his gaze onto Kadian whom he had just realized was awake and listening to their conversation. He took a finger and traced the edge of her cheek before turning back to Arthur who had rolled onto his side with his back to them.

Kadian brought her legs to her chest as she felt the cold wind as it blew into the house, blowing out the candle that Arthur murmured for Merlin to put out. "Merlin," she whispered so softly that Arthur could not hear, "why _did_ you leave here?"

Merlin moved closer to her, pulling his pillow with him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer. "Mum after Will found out," he whispered even quieter.

"Oh," Kadian said and turned over so her back was to his chest. She could feel his warmth through the blankets she had piled on top of herself and the chill from the air quickly vanished.

-x-

That night, Kadian had another nightmare that sent chills up and down her spine.

_She was trapped inside a thick fog, unable to see her hands stretched out before her. A pair of ruby eyes stared at her, flickering around her like a swarm. Her breaths were short and shallow, weaker each time. Pain surged from her cheek, stinging as the thick, grey fog touched her skin. She could feel her blood ooze slowly down her cheek._

_There were voices around her, some she recognized above others. Collectively, the tones sounded like the villagers from Ealdor, crying and shouting with the clash of steel echoing their pleas. Had the battle already begun?_

_And then they came at her. Thousands, maybe millions of vampires and demons. They grabbed hold of her, biting at her pale flesh, staining the fog with crimson. Kadian screamed in her dream._

Her sudden movement had woken Merlin. She screamed soundlessly into the night, shaking her head furiously from side to side, feeling her arms, face, and neck; all was well.

-x-

Two days later, Azura sat in her chamber, combing her blonde hair. Felipe rose onto his haunches and examined himself in the mirror. Felipe had been the only company she was with every since Arthur left. He was a good listener, never interrupted, and was always unpredictable and always seemed to make her laugh with a trick or two. Azura had no idea that he could jump into the air and do a back flip without being trained to do so. Occasionally, she would express her thoughts about what Arthur was doing at that very moment and he would just glare at her with his little, black eyes.

There was a knock on her chamber door and the comb fell from her grasp, startling Felipe where he darted off the table and vanished under the skirt of her bed. Azura turned toward the door and rose to her feet. "Enter," she said in the softest, kindest voice she could muster up.

The door swung open and Uther walked in, gazing about him to take in the sights that he was unfamiliar to. Azura felt her heart sink as he spoke, "Do you know where Arthur is?"

She dropped her bright eyes to her feet, that were bare she realized. Then, she looked up. "I will not lie to you, my lord," she said gently and tried not to flinch as his gaze fell to a glare. "I do know where Arthur has gone, only... I promised I would not say. My lord, I do not want to go against him on this."

A deep, heavy sigh escaped Uther's lips as he looked away from her; he knew where he had gone, even without her reluctance to speak. However, he respected her decision to be honest with him. "I cannot send any men after him," he said lowly as he shifted his eyes onto her again, "and he will not listen to me or any one else."

"I'm sorry," Azura sighed.

"I cannot order for you to go, but" Uther replied, stepping toward her, "will you bring him home?"

There was a flash in the light of Azura's eyes as the words and sounds rolled off the King's tongue. What he requested of her would go against what Arthur truly wanted, for her to remain in Camelot away from all the blood and all the fighting that was in Ealdor. But, she felt that the King left her no room to refuse to make the journey and, deep down, she knew that she wanted to go and fight along side the villagers. "I will, sire," she grinned and turned away, "but I hope that by doing so, does not cost me as much as I fear."

"I will take full responsibility for whatever comes to you." Uther placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to him. "I would not ask this of you if I did not think you were capable of coming back unharmed." Then, he embraced her tightly and warmly, possibly even protectively. Azura just stared through the open door with the nagging thought that this would be the last fight that she and Arthur will have.

-x-

Over the passed days, Arthur had trained the men to the best of his abilities. During that time, Kadian, along with the other woman, sharpened swords and made the weapons that would be wielded to defend Ealdor. During mealtime, Kadian would help Hunith prepare food for Merlin, Arthur, and herself. She was pleased to be of some use to the people, even though her brother would not permit her to join the training.

Merlin's fighting improved more than the others, who could barely pass a blow and land their own. They had little time to be alone and it surprised Kadian that the only time they had together was at night when he would hold her to keep her warm and sooth her when she woke from a terrible nightmare. All she could see was everyone in the village having their heads ripped off their shoulders by Kier and Ze'el who had teamed with Kanen. These dreams, when she would think about them, made absolutely no sense to her whatsoever, but every time she woke, she would feel herself to make sure that her head was still attached and that she was still breathing.

Kadian tried to tell herself that her dreams could not harm her and that she must let go of her fears so the nightmares to vanish and never return. She would keep telling herself all through the day until she curled up beside Merlin and still woke silently screaming. Now, she watched as Arthur drilled the men, circling around them like a hawk and correcting them on form.

She watched as he approached Matthew and said that it would benefit them all it he would create sentry duty to keep watch for Kanen's men. Matthew ran off, happily to be chosen to do so, even though, what Arthur meant was he could not fight. Arthur told the men to take a break and they all collapsed in angst.

Kadian went over to him. "Looks like the war's been fought and lost," she grinned as he took a gulp of water from a bucket that had been brought.

Arthur sighed. "I know. They're helpless."

"They are not soldiers, Arthur," Kadian stated. "They weren't trained to fight since birth. They are farmers."

"What do you think I should do, then?" he asked.

"I think the women should be able to fight, and that includes me," she replied. "There isn't enough men and you need all the help you can get."

"No, it's too dangerous," Arthur stated and went to walk away.

"Don't walk away from me, Arthur," she hissed and he spun around. "I bet that is what you told Azura. I'm surprised she even bothered to listen to you this time."

"Don't bring her into this. Azura stayed on her own accord," Arthur replied, moving closer to his sister.

Kadian laughed and did not flinch when Arthur glared at her with a glare she only saw when he was transforming to a vampire. "You _know_ that we need her more than anyone," she said. "They have bows, arrows. With that, she could take out all of Kanen's men inside minutes. I understand that you want to protect her, Arthur, but you can't place her into a cushioned chamber forever."

"This isn't up for discussion, Kadian," Arthur replied and walked away, ordering the men to rise to their feet and start again.

-x-

Merlin had taken an axe in hand and left the village to venture into the trees that surrounded the village on all sides. He turned when he heard his name being called from behind and saw that Will was approaching him. "Where you goin' with that thing?" Will asked.

"What does it look like? We need wood?" Merlin laughed, holding up the axe.

"We both know that _you_ don't need an axe to fell a tree," Will stated, stopping in front of him.

"And I remember the trouble it got me into. I nearly flattened old man Simmons," Merlin said, waving the axe in the direction of where Simmons used to live.

Will shrugged. "He deserved it, stupid old crone."

"He never did like me, anyway," Merlin said, remembering all the times Simmons used to yell at him for no apparent reason. He always thought that Simmons had it out for him.

"Even less after that," Will commented and they both laughed, reminiscing in the good 'ole times they had back when they were young.

Merlin stared at Will after the laughter between them died away, and Will stared back at him. They both had changed so much since they last saw each other the morning that Merlin left for Camelot to stay with his uncle. "Why are you being like this?" Merlin asked.

"You know why," Will said, walking around Merlin and taking a seat on a fallen tree trunk. Merlin took a seat beside him and tossed the axe to the ground before his feet. They sat in a silence that seemed to last for ages before Will found the courage to defeat the growing beast. "Why did you leave?"

"It wasn't what I wanted," Merlin said, facing him as he spoke. "My mother was worried. When she found out you knew, she was so angry."

"I wouldn't have told anyone," Will stated, setting his eyes on Merlin, who looked away.

"I know you wouldn't," Merlin replied with a sigh; there was still a part of him the resented leaving Ealdor and all of his friends that lived there. He looked out at the people who were lively in the village, working on weaponry or training to be able to manage to land a blow on an enemy. Kadian was sharpening swords and talking to his mother about something that he partially wished he knew about. He, then, wondered how his mother would react if she was aware that Kadian knew about his power; she would be more furious than she was when Will found out.

"You'd be able to take Kanen's men on your own, couldn't you?" Will said, snapping his wild thoughts into reality.

"Not sure, maybe," Merlin shrugged, not meeting the stare that his friend set on him.

Will continued to stare at him, not caring if Merlin felt self-conscious. "So what's stopping you? So what if Arthur finds out? His sister already knows, it wouldn't make a difference if he did."

"I don't expect you to understand."

"Try me."

"It's different with Arthur. One day, he'll make a great king, but he needs my help, and if anyone like him ever found out about my powers, I would have to leave Camelot and Kadian for good."

"Are you saying you'd rather keep you magic a secret for Arthur's sake than use it to protect your friends and family?" Will said in a heavy, annoyed tone.

Merlin's eyes trailed over to what parts of the village he could see. It was his home, first before Camelot. Will's testimony brought questions to him that he had never indulged himself with before. What was the point of his magic if he could not protect everyone he cared for? He sighed and he parted ways with Will to think and collect the wood that he had promised to return with.

When night fell upon Ealdor for the third day since his arrival, Merlin pulled Kadian aside as Arthur and Hunith retired for the evening. They sat by the rear entrance to the house with their backs to the dying fire inside. Kadian looked at her hands and sighed when she saw how dry they had become in a matter of days. Merlin took her hand that was closet to him and sealed it away inside his own hand.

Inside, Hunith laid down and pulled her blankets up to her shoulders, watching her son and Kadian sit side-by-side.

Kadian set her blue eyes onto him, sensing how troubled he was. "What's wrong Merlin?" she asked.

He would not meet her gaze. "Will thinks I should use my magic to defeat Kanen when he comes," he sighed, running his free hand through his messy hair. "That would mean Arthur would find out about me."

"Nonsense," Kadian replied, shaking her head. "You _have_ to keep your magic secret, no matter whose life is at an end... If anything, I would use my powers. Arthur knows about me already."

Merlin locked gazes with her. "No," he said. "This is my village and if I must... I will face the consequences afterwards... I can't have you endangering yourself like that."

"Merlin..." Kadian went to say but her voice was drowned away by him pressing his lips onto hers and kissing her so tenderly that it sent chills up and down her spine for the first time since their first kiss. Their magic was a last resort they had promised never to use unless it was absolutely necessary; and Kadian felt that this might be the time that it was used in the open. She pulled away and gazed up at the cloudy sky that hid all the brilliant stars behind an ugly grey. "Whatever happens, Merlin, I will stand with you."

Hunith closed her eyes as a long breath expelled from her lips that had curved into a slight smile; she should have known that Kadian had come for Merlin, but now she realized why what they had was special and dear to them: they shared something that was forbidden everywhere they turned, magic.

-x-

Azura dismounted her mare by the river, allowing the mare to take her fill from a shallow stream. She had rode throughout the night and was barely stricken with weariness. She was determined to reach Ealdor to find out what fate the village had endured, if it was still standing. It had been four days since Arthur had left, and in that time, Kanen could have attacked and slaughtered them all.

There were trees an all sides of her, heavy with lush leaves. She had strayed from the path to avoid an early confrontation with Kanen's men. During the night, she had spotted smoke from a lit campfire coming from a ways down the wood. She wore a pair of dark leggings and a red tunic, which she had stolen from Arthur's chamber before leaving Camelot. Across her shoulder was a thick, brown belt holding down a white-fur shawl that wrapped around her waist where her brother's sword was secured. To her, it felt awkward wearing pants, but they were much easier to run, let alone fight, in than a skirt.

Azura pulled Starlust away from the stream and mounted her. "Come on, it isn't much further," she whispered and brought the mare into a canter alongside the stream.

Their journey continued for a long while until the sound of orders to kill someone. Azura pulled Starlust away from the stream and into the maze of the trees. She drew the sword on her waist and gripped it tightly; she knew that Kanen's men must be nearby. That was when she heard the sound of a crossbow releasing an arrow, followed by a hollow sound of someone, or something, collapsing to the ground.

Silently, she dismounted her mare and told her quietly to stay, which she did. Azura crouched low to the ground and stalked forward, peering over a row of high bushes. On the other side lay a dead man with an arrow lodged in his back. By the looks of him, Azura knew that he was a villager for Ealdor, most likely on sentry duty. A second man came into view, holding a crossbow in his hands, and knelt beside the villager with a crooked grin on his chin.

"The parchment!" he ordered, glaring back behind him.

Another man ran toward him with a piece of parchment that was snatched from his grasp. He muttered a reply, addressing the man that knelt as Kanen before running to join the others who were concealed from Azura's sight. So _that_ was Kanen, the vicious tyrant that terrorized Ealdor. If only she had a bow and one arrow, she could end this war right there and now, but she did not and stayed out of sight.

Kanen staked the parchment with the bloody arrow in the villager's back and two of his men lifted the corpse up and secured it to the horse the villager had been riding.

"Hey, you!" a voice shouted behind her and she ducked low to the ground, hearing the snapping of a crossbow as it fired an arrow toward her. Azura leapt to her feet and Starlust ran by her and she jumped onto the saddle, digging her heels into the horse's side to bring her into a fast gallop.

Several more arrows sliced through the air and Azura kept low to Starlust's neck, cursing that she could be so stupid to let herself be caught. Then, Starlust screamed and fell onto her side, tossing Azura to the ground, who rolled over her shoulder, redrawing the sword she had sheathed. An arrow was lodged into Starlust's right, hind leg and was dripping blood down the horse's white coat.

They came out of nowhere, so it seemed, and Azura became surround by near six men. Her eyes stayed on the ground, taking in the position of each set of feet and she listened to the wind as it blew through the circle, pushing the men closer to her, only to be wounded with a single swing of the sword. She blocked high, then low and sliced at a man's leg; parried and landed a blow on another's arm; check the arm of another and sliced the mail shielding his stomach. They all fell like dominoes around her, one after the other, writhing in pain. The only thing she swore to herself was that she would kill never again, and she left the men bleeding on the floor of the dense wood.

Azura ran to her mare and pulled her to her feet, despite the whines and grunts the horse made in protest. A lame horse was better than no horse at all. She leapt onto the saddle and kicked Starlust into a slow gallop that carried her away from the scene before more of the men arrived to take her. Behind her, she heard Kanen order for her capture, but she was too far away for the crossbows to hit when the order was given.

Ealdor was not far and she followed near the horse that carried the villager's corpse. They broke through the trees and the village was before them, standing feebly on a grassy plain with a neighbouring farm that was live with animals and withering crops.

A woman screamed and villagers flooded into the main street as they horse trotted into the village, carrying the corpse on its back. Azura saw Kadian first, then Merlin, and finally Arthur who did not look up to see that it was her entering the village after the horse.

Kadian was the first to notice her and ran over, taking the reins for Azura as she dismounted. "I'm glad you came," she whispered as Azura walked away to get closer; several of the other villagers noticed her, Hunith being one of them.

"'Let most of tomorrow be your last,'" Arthur read after pulling the parchment loose from its entrapment. He looked up as at the woman, who screamed and sobbed, holding Matthew's head in her arms.

Will stepped forward, through the mob that was staring at Azura. "Look what you've done!" Will shouted at Arthur. "He's dead, you've sent him to his death!"

"No," Arthur replied.

"How much more of us to you expect to die just so you can have the honour and glory of battle?" Will growled.

"These men are brave enough to fight, even if you're not," Arthur retaliated, but Will spun around and stormed through the crowd. That was when he followed the gazes of the villagers to Azura who grasped the hilt of her brother's sword. There were seldom words that could explain how angry he was to see her standing there, dressed in clothes, his clothes he noticed, ready to fight with blood staining her soft hands. "I told you to stay in Camelot."

"Arthur, now's not the time," Kadian said with a sigh.

Arthur shot her a glare and turned his attention back to Azura who had stepped toward him. "No, now is the time," he growled. "You deliberately disobeyed me, Azura."

"I did as you asked," Azura replied in a tone that was surprisingly calm for their fights. "I told no one and I remained in Camelot, bored out of my mind just to please your wishes."

"Then why...!" Arthur shouted and the villagers moved their gazes onto Azura.

"Because Uther told me to!" Azura snapped. "I had _no_ choice but to come after you. I would have stayed in Camelot, like a good girl and listen to your demands, but the king's word triumphs over your own."

The villagers moved their gazes back to Arthur.

"And you came, looking for battle," Arthur growled. "You will _die_ here, and you're lucky enough to have missed the same fate as Matthew!"

The watching eyes moved to Azura.

"I came prepared to defend myself! I do not wish to draw blood on their enemies, that is their job, not mine!" Azura hissed, stepping closer to him. "I was told to bring you home and I will do as I am told, no one can change that. I had wanted to wait to return to Camelot until after Ealdor was freed."

The villagers turned back to Arthur. The two were only a foot away from each other.

"You were nearly killed," Arthur said.

"But I wasn't," Azura smiled, tilting her head to the side.

"That doesn't matter! You-"

"You may be a prince, Arthur Pendragon," Azura hissed, clenching a fist that she longed to throw at him, "but you have forgotten who _I_ am. I will not sit by and let a _tyrant_ harm these people! You can protest all you want, even kick and scream and beg, I don't care!"

She went to walk around him, but he grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her to him.

"It is too dangerous, Azura!" He growled as she pulled away from his grasp.

"If it's too dangerous, why are you fighting?" She replied with the same psychotic head tilt and grin.

The villagers set their eyes on Arthur who, for the first time, was out of words to retaliate with. Give him a sword and a shield, he could take down an entire city; but, throw a army of well-placed words in sentences in front of him, he would be a dead-man. As a gale of chill wind howled through the village, everyone knew that Azura had won this round.

-x-

Kadian ran after Azura as she walked away from the gawking crowd and stunned Arthur. Azura kept walking, straight out of the other side of the village, before Kadian's shouting of her name made her spin so fast, Kadian nearly lost her footing with the breeze it swept up.

"So, my father _actually_ sent you to take us back?" Kadian asked when Azura's fierce eyes softened.

"No, only Arthur," Azura replied, kicking a round rock into the trees. "I don't think he realized that you have gone, like he'd care."

"You shouldn't have gone twelve rounds with Arthur in front of the villagers," Kadian sighed, taking Azura by the wrist and sitting her on a fallen tree. "There's little hope as it is. They did not need to see that."

Azura turned her gaze away, at the sky that was, to their surprise, turning into oranges and reds, like raging fires that reminded her of the flames that consumed Luthrembel the night she and Kadian had ventured to the ghastly city. "I did not mean to lose my temper," she sighed. "But, Arthur needs to see that not only men can fight. And... if that means that it must end between us, then..."

Kadian felt Azura's eyes fall upon her face, locking her gaze. "It won't come to that, trust me."

-x-

Arthur sent Merlin to gather the villagers once the sun had dipped behind the horizon and painted the sky navy. There was a chill in the air and a faint breeze swept dust into the air. The only light came from the quarter moon that slowly ascended to its peak with a cloak of vibrant, shimmering stars appearing as it heightened. Arthur gazed around village and imagined the anarchy that would erupt in a few hours when Kanen attacked. Then, he saw Azura sitting with her back against the side of the house next to Hunith's. She appeared asleep, but she rose to her feet suddenly.

Arthur sighed and approached her cautiously, noticing that her brother's sword was tied to her waist, waiting to be drawn. "Azura," he said and she turned, "you have to understand-"

"No, you have to understand," Azura replied with an attempt to keep her voice down to avoid another staring festival with the villagers. "These people, they have a chance to fight for their home, their family, and everything and everyone they care about... I never had that chance."

"I know."

"You can only imagine what it is like to loose everything. You don't know what it's like to be able to do nothing and wonder if you could have made a difference had you been there. It is a feeling that burns your very soul and brings you closer to madness with every waking moment. I feel it with every touch, every kiss, and every breath I take. I can make a difference this time, and I will."

"You can't change what happened to Luthrembel."

"But I can save Ealdor," Azura said and a silence snuck in between them. Only four feet separated them, but to Arthur, it felt like four miles. Azura sighed, "Until you can accept my emotions and who I am, this thing between can't happen... I'll be on sentry." There was no room for argument and Azura vanished into the darkness that surrounded Ealdor. She had left him speechless for the second time and he even felt lost.

It was over.

Arthur turned and entered Hunith's house where Merlin had gathered every villager that remained in Ealdor. He walked to the centre of the circle that had formed around a medium-sized fire that licked the chill air and cracked the wood it feasted upon. Silence fell around him as his blue eyes scanned upon all the watching faces that each said something different; some were fierce; others were full of doubt; and the rest were confused. Kadian stood in the outer ring, beside Merlin and behind Hunith. Arthur drew his sword and skimmed the point across the dry soil at his feet.

"Tomorrow morning," he began, taking a deep breath, "the woman and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods..."

Kadian stepped forward. "We're not going anywhere," she said, setting a strong gaze on her brother.

Arthur turned to her and their matching irises locked. "I know you want to help, but woman can't stay here, it's too dangerous."

"The woman have as much right to fight for their lives as the men do," Kadian protested; she had heard the conversation he and Azura had had, they were not quiet about it.

"None of you know how to fight," Arthur replied, referring the female villagers and not Kadian in particular.

"The more of us there are, the better chance we stand," Kadian argued moving her eyes across all the women that formed an outer ring to the circle.

Arthur gazed at the women as they all stepped forward, most of them with their arms crossed at their chests. He knew, then, that there was no point in arguing any further. Kadian was right, and Azura had been right as well. He gazed down, at the whipping flames, and thought for only a moment before looking up. "This is your home," Arthur said, "If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice. I'd be honoured to stand alongside you. Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen's brutal. He fights only to kill, which is why he will never defeat us." He began to pace around the circle, feeling confident for the first time since he started to train the men. "Look around. In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to. You're fighting for so much more than that..." He drifted off but kept his eyes level and a straight, strong face.

It took him until now to really understand what these people around him were going through, what Azura had gone through and what she sought to prevent; but he now realized there was much more to this battle. "You fight for your homes," Arthur continued. "You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes, fighting for your very right to survive. And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between. So you fight! For your family! For your friends! For Ealdor!"

Arthur raised up his sword as every man and woman around him echoed his final words. That echoed vibrated throughout the wood the surrounding the village and, Arthur hoped, Kanen heard their cry.

-x-

Later, once everyone had retired for the evening to rest for what could be his or her last night, Hunith called Merlin over to her as she sat beside the fire that was slowly dimming. There was a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Raising the back of her hand, Hunith caressed the side of Merlin's face. "I do love you, my boy," she said in a soft, motherly tone.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"I should have never gone to Camelot," Hunith replied with a sigh. "I've ruined everything for you."

"No you haven't," Merlin stated, shaking his head.

Hunith looked into his dark eyes and got lost in them for a moment. "I heard and Kadian speaking last night. I know what you are planning to do."

Merlin sighed and set his eyes on his feet. "If it comes to a choice, between me saving people's lives and revealing who I truly am... there is no choice."

Shaking her head, Hunith forced his gaze to return to her. "You can't let Arthur know about your gift," she said.

"Why not?" Merlin wondered. "Maybe it is supposed to be this way. He accepts Kadian... and if he doesn't accept me for who _I_ really am... then... he's not the friend I hoped he was."

Hunith nodded her head and she knew that it would be an impossible task to change his mind that had already been made up. "Kadian," she said and his attention snapped back to her once he realized what he had said about her, "she came here for you and I realize now... that both of you..."

"Mother, I should have said something," Merlin said. "I didn't know how you would react... with her being..."

"I love Kadian as if she were my own daughter, even though I only met her a week ago. She is willing to risk everything for you and us, whom she knows nothing about," Hunith replied. "And I cannot see anyone else that is right for you, my only son."

-x-

A blinding, dawn light slipped in through windows, waking them all in the early hours of dawn. As each of them woke, a deep, nervous feeling churned with the acids of their stomachs. Kadian was among the first to wake, second to Hunith who quickly started to make breakfast for her guests. Stretching her arms, Kadian gently moved Merlin's arms off of her and rose to her feet, combing her thin fingers through her hair and ridding it of the knots that twisted it.

Hunith looked up from her cooking fire at the sound of a yawn escaping Kadian's lips. "Good morning, Kadian," she said and set her eyes back on the food she stirred in a hollow pan.

"Good morning, Hunith," she replied and walked over to her, watching as she prepared what looked like slop farmers fed to Camelot. Kadian was never fond of it, but every morning it was prepared, she poured it down her throat and tried not to think about the revolting taste.

Hunith sighed and placed the wooden spoon she stirred with down. "Kadian," she said in the softest of voices, "if you choose to stay in Ealdor... after all of this... I want you to know, that you are most welcome here, in my home. I have never seen my son look at anyone else in the way that he looks at you."

Kadian dipped her head unconsciously. "Thank you," she replied.

"I have, but one question," Hunith said and met Kadian's blue stare. When Kadian nodded, she asked, "Why would you choose a life of poverty over your life of luxury in your father's city?"

Kadian winced at the way Hunith used the term "father". She could barely manage to use the word herself even when talking to Uther directly. "Because... like Merlin... I don't fit in there."

Hunith nodded her head and turned back to her cooking. The others stirred from their sleep and roused quickly with Arthur leaving to take over the morning sentry for a little while. Merlin went to help his mother with the preparations for the raiders and Kadian went out to see that the evacuation of the children went smoothly. To her surprise, everything was in order and before the sun reached its peak, Will led the children and the villagers that wished not to fight out of Ealdor; he did not even look over his shoulder at the village he was leaving.

Azura returned to the village and entered Hunith's house, where she had stored the belongings she had taken from Camelot. Among her belongings were various phials of herbs and remedies to heal wounds and stop infections, a change of clothing, and the white mail she had worn to the Forest of Balor on the quest to retrieve the mortaeus flower. She cursed as she pulled it over her head, there was still a gap in the mail where the fire had burned through and left a nasty burn on her bicep. There had been no time for her to get fitted for regular, steel mail, but it tricked Arthur into thinking that she had brought real armour; however, Kadian knew that wearing the mithrill was as useless in this battle like a dull blade. Azura vanished out of the house, tying her brother's sword to the belt on her waist.

Before noon fell upon the sky, Arthur returned and he and Merlin suited up in their armour. The prince refused Merlin's aid and said that today, Merlin would put his own armour on. Kadian draped the mail Guinevere had given to her over her head and rested it neatly on her shoulders. Hunith came up from behind and fixed the back of the collar that had rolled in the back. Kadian smiled and an even brighter smile stretched Hunith's lips. At that moment, Kadian was the daughter she never had. Kadian pulled a navy tunic over the mail and left the house, tying her sheath to the leather belt around her waist.

Arthur was suited in what seemed like minutes. He had fastened a hauberk around his neck and over his steel mail that covered his torso and arms. Then, the steel plates formed the spauder, rerebrace, cowter, and vambrace that protected his right arm, the arm that would wield his sword, and the bracer that was strapped to his left. He turned as he finished fastening the last strap of the vambrace and saw that Merlin struggled to secure the bracer on his right. Arthur stepped forward and did it for him.

"Arthur," Merlin said as the prince turned away to pick up his sword that rested on the wooden table. "Whatever happens out there today, I hope that you don't think any different of me."

"It's all right to be scared, Merlin," Arthur replied. "It happens to the best of us."

"That's not what I mean," Merlin stated with a sigh and set his gaze on Arthur.

Arthur turned to him as he pulled his black gloves over his fingers. "If there's something you want to tell me, Merlin, now is the time," he stated.

They locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity. Merlin's heart was racing in his chest and he felt like it was going to leap through the silver mail he wore. He could hear his heart beat in his ears as it pumped blood through his entire body. "Arthur..." he went to say, but Kadian ran inside.

"Arthur," she said, tilting her head as Merlin glanced away and ran a hand through his dark hair, "they've crossed the river."

-x-

Kanen's men broke through the line of trees and charged into Ealdor. The village was silent and Kanen looked about. "Come out, come out, where ever you are."

Cautiously, his men scoured the vacant houses in search for the villagers they were to slaughter. They were unaware of the villagers that crouched low against the sides of the far houses. Arthur was in the front, peering at Kanen who sat on top of a horse with a steel helm and suited in tarnished chain mail. in his hands was an axe that screamed with all the evil it had done in the past.

Behind Arthur was Merlin, watching the raiders with a keen eye. His thoughts were clouded with the infinite number of possibilities this battle could end it. Magic, he knew, would be his last resort; and it would be _him_ to use it, he would not risk Kadian's safety.

Across from the men were Kadian and Azura. They, too, watched the raiders, picking the weak from the strong. In Azura's hand was a bow that one of the villagers had with a single arrow notched and ready to be fired. One the trap was set, it was up to her to end the battle before any blood could be shed; if the shot missed, then they all must fight.

As the raiders went deeper into the village, a group of villagers pulled on a thick, heavy rope and raised a wooden gate in the centre of the village, blocking the raiders' path. The horses neighed and back away, startled.

Azura pulled the string back, waiting for the next part of their plan to take place, and the shot to kill Kanen. And wait they all did for Hunith to start the fire to entrap the raiders. Kanen's eyes scanned the area, looking for one villager who was in the open. He found one, running from the right and across the centre of Ealdor. "Kill him!" Kanen ordered his men.

The crossbows launched their arrows at the man who ran in the open. The man was Merlin. His eyes saw the tiny arrows and he dodged them by a hair each time. Kadian's heart lurked as an arrow passed by Merlin's head, missing him only just. Merlin took the flints from his mother's hands and told her to get behind him. "_Kume her fybryne,_" he whispered and brilliant, orange flames licked across the trail to the gate.

The horses screamed and backed away from the gate that erupted in flames. Azura stepped into the open, behind the flaming gate, and aimed the arrow that was locked in the hook. She drew the string back, by her ear, and gazed at Kanen who was as startled as his men.

_Come on, Zu,_ Kadian thought, crossing her fingers. They all did.

_Snap_. The arrow pierced through the fire and was set a blaze as it flew through the heated waves of air.

Kanen saw Azura through the whips of fire and the arrow that spiralled toward him like a twisted inferno that welcomed him. On the edge of his helm, above his eyes, the arrow hit. The flames it carried were swept forward by the impact, singeing the skin around his eye sockets.

"_Damn it_," Azura cursed, dropping the bow and drawing the sword on her waist. As it slid from the scabbard, it rang with a soft _hiss_ that seemed to shriek throughout in entire village, letting the raiders know that it's eyes were set on them.

"CHARGE!" Arthur shouted and all the villagers emerged from their hiding, wielding what ever they had found around their homes. Most of the men swung swords wildly around their heads; the woman brought up brooms and pitchforks; and Kadian drew both her swords, slicing them through the air as a warning.

Blood was shed within minutes, pooling onto the dirt by its once, lively body. Kadian blocked high with her right and slid her blade so the enemy blade was caught between the angel wings of the guard. Then, she swung low, at the stomach, with the left and gutted her attacker without a care for mercy or any remorse. She turned and caught another blade and did the same to that man. Blood was smeared on her blue tunic, fresh and warm as it seeped through the fabric and the chain mail.

Someone shoved Arthur from behind and he stumbled forward, nearly falling onto his face. Arthur turned, prepared to fight, but the fight had been taken from him. Azura ducked down and drew her sword across the man's leg; he wailed in pain and swung wildly and blindly at her.

Azura stepped back and hollowed her midsection to avoid a fatal blow, parrying the strike to the side with her sword. Then, she brought the steel down and cut the man's neck, spouting warm, thick blood into the air as he fell and went limp within moments. Arthur turned away from the body and locked gazes with Azura with a bright smile that both scared and relieved him. "Can't have you being killed. If anything, I want to kill you myself," she said.

"That's comforting," Arthur grumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a strike coming at him. He spun and the sword collided with the red shield that was against his left arm. It took little time to end his enemy, only, another replaced the enemy quickly. To his surprise, Azura fought alongside him, out-moving the man in every way and sneaking around his foot like she had done to Arthur many times prior.

Merlin stabbed one of Kanen's men in the gut. He pulled free his sword and gazed at the crimson that oozed down the steel and onto the guard, where it proceeded to stain his hands red. A ways to his right, Hunith beat a raider with a broom and clocked him upside the head, knocking him into unconsciousness.

Opposite of Merlin was Kadian. She swerved out of the way of a mad blade and sliced its wielder's back, drawing blood that seeped through his tunic. He spun and charged at her, and Kadian was ready for him. She sidestepped and parried with her left and slid her right blade across his stomach as she followed through with the parry.

Arthur pushed Azura to the other side of him and caught a blow with his shield as she trapped another blade at the guard of her sword and disarmed the raider. Together, they dug their blades into their opponents' stomachs and pulled them free. "It's not that I don't think you can't handle it..." Arthur said as another came at him. "It's just that..." He swept a blow away. "I don't want..." He jumped to the side and gouged the raider's thigh, "to see you get hurt again."

It was like he had jinxed her. As Azura swung at the raider before her, her sword was blocked and trapped in the guard of the other. The raider pulled the sword from her grasp and, while she raised her arms to protect her face/neck, he brought his sword down. The steel dug deep into her forearm and pulled away in a quick motion. It felt like the sword had a saw-toothed blade.

Azura cursed loudly as she clasped her left hand over the bleeding wound. Arthur pulled Azura to him, since his enemy fled, and blocked a blow above her head. He pushed her behind him and battled the raider, ending him swiftly.

"Damn," Azura said wincing as she examined the cut. "Went all the way to the bone."

"See what I mean?" Arthur sighed, picking up the sword and handing it to her.

"Nah, it's only a scratch," she smiled, taking the sword in her left hand. "You can't prevent every little thing."

"I know," Arthur said and clashed blades with another raider. Azura spun around and duelled a man with the sword in her left. "But," Arthur said as he fought, "it's not like..." he ducked down "...I'm going to let..." he jumped back, barely missing a blow to the gut "...you jump off a cliff on my watch."

"A low cliff?" Azura asked and she cut the raider across the chest; he fled to protect his life.

Arthur's opponent dropped his weapon and turned tail and ran. Arthur dug the point of his sword in the bloody mud and placed his head into his free palm and sighed. "And that's why I love you," he said and pulled her into a kiss, not caring that he was unarmed and in a second she could end his life.

Kadian took a deep breath as the raider before her ran in the opposite direction and out of Ealdor. What a coward, she thought, wiping the sides of her blades against her dark leggings to clean most of the oozing blood off. She gazed around the gruesome, morbid scene that was now Ealdor. There were many limp bodies sprawled on the muddy, blood stained ground that was riddled with sharp weapons and brooms and other things that the villagers armed themselves with. So many were dead, on both sides, and it seemed like neither side had gained the advantage. Kanen's men were everywhere, picking off villagers one by one without a single moment for mercy. Her eyes fell upon Arthur and Azura who were lip-locked in the centre of carnage and the sight curved Kadian's lips, especially when they parted and killed another man.

Nearby by, Merlin jabbed the point of his sword into one of Kanen's men, who dropped to the mud cold. He smiled at the sword as the blood glistened with the silver in the hot sunlight. Behind him, a raider charged at him on horseback, holding a mace above his head. It would only take one blow to the head to kill Merlin where he stood, his skull would split open and his brains would spill over the mud.

Kadian held her breath, she knew that she could not make it to him in time to protect him; there was no time to mutter a spell; there was no time at all. She kept her eyes on Merlin as she blocked a blow from a raider.

Will jumped from out of nowhere and tackled the raider to the ground, prying the mace from his hand and smashing it into the raider's skull. He left the bloody weapon in the man's skull as he stood up and turned to Merlin, who stared wide-eyed.

"I thought you weren't coming," Merlin said, clasping Will on the shoulder in thanks.

"Yeah, so did I," Will said.

"_Aaaahhh!_" a high-pitched sound screamed through the village. Everyone turned their gazes, but none so fast as Merlin, who recognized the scream.

The swords fell from Kadian's hands and she collapsed to the ground. Above her, the raider, not Kanen, drew up his axe with one of the crude edges aimed at the centre of her chest where the blade had slid across her tunic and through the mail.

This was it. She closed her eyes.

Arthur turned his head and saw no one beside him.

Azura caught the axe as it plummeted toward Kadian with the blade of her sword and guided the axe away from Kadian. The raider released a hand from his axe and slammed the back of his fist across Azura's face, pushing her back only for a second before she retaliated. Even with the unmistakable size difference, Azura outwitted the raider and held the advantage. They way she moved, the agility and gracefulness in her step, could be taken as unnatural, non-human. Perhaps it was the blur of her vision, but Kadian could barely see the final motions that dismembered the raider's hand from his arm and sent him fleeing.

Azura knelt beside Kadian and pressed on the wound that expelled blood against the pressure. "You'll be alright, Kadian," she said.

Kadian's eyelids felt heavy. "Be...hind you," she whispered faintly.

Just as the words rolled off Kadian's tongue, Azura spun and blocked the blow with the sword in her left. The raider came down again with a heavier blow. Azura gripped the sword in both hands and held it above her head, at a slight angle. The angle was not steep enough and when the enemy blade came down against the blood-coated steel, Jaiden's sword shattered.

As the silver and red shards fragmented against the rival sword, Azura kicked the man's side to avert the axe from harming Kadian. She dropped the half of the sword she grasped and stared at the raider who met her intense gaze that was filled with pure hatred and, maybe, insanity.

Merlin was forced back by two raiders that surrounded him and Will. Arthur was preoccupied with several raiders that circled him, each waiting their turn to strike.

Take a deep breath, Azura reached for one of the swords Kadian had dropped. As she lunged, the raider brought his sword across her side. But she showed no pain and stepped around his feet to be behind him. With swift movements, she turned him away from Kadian and cut his throat.

Letting the body drop to the pool of its blood, Azura went to Kadian and took her by the waist. She dragged her inside the house that was nearby to shield her from any more harm. Azura kept talking to her, but Kadian was stricken by shock that left her completely unresponsive. In the cover of the house, the sounds of the blood bath outside rang through Azura's ears like alarms from the warning bells of Camelot. Each clash of steel, each meeting of wood, and every muffled scream felt like a dagger to the skull.

"Kadian, stay awake," Azura kept repeating as she gazed around the home from something to use, but there was nothing. Wincing, Azura raised her right hand over Kadian. "_O'goth l't'larryo illingen, lu'l'torn yuih ji Kadian orn naut thalra streea, naubol mzild__._"

Magic bubbled inside Azura as her lips formed the forbidden sounds of the incantation. The power she summoned glowed at her fingertips. The long, deep gash across Kadian's chest began to heal almost instantaneously. First, the bones that cracked were mend; then, the muscles reached across the ivory bones and returned to strength slowly. With every ounce of magic Azura used, the deeper her own wounds became.

Her fingers curled and Azura retracted her hand. The wound Kadian had was still there, but now, it was no longer fatal. Azura sat back on her heels, letting her head hang down on her neck, and wrapped her arms around her waist, clasping the bleeding wound on her side. Her blood felt warm as it trickled down her flesh on her side and arm.

"Zu?" Kadian said as she came to. Much of the pain had subsided, leaving her with a tingling feeling across her chest. "You..."

"You will not die, but it will scar. Try not to move," Azura said, weakly lifting her head. "You'll wreck what I mended."

"You saved my life," Kadian exclaimed, sitting up slowly. Sharp pains shot across her chest. "_You_ ran from across the village in a second... you're done for."

"Maybe... in more ways than one."

-x-

Outside, Merlin and Will gazed around at the carnage that had befallen Ealdor. Everything was caked in crimson blood and the vile, putrid stench of death lingered in the humid air. What villagers were left were scathed, but charged at the raiders to run them out. "There's too many of them," Will said, staring in disbelief at what his home had turned into.

Merlin could not shake Kadian's scream from his mind, the sight of the axe cutting her. "Not for me, there isn't," he stated and raised his right hand after glancing over his shoulder to see that Arthur was still preoccupied. "_Cume theoden._"

A wind's howl swept through Camelot as the hay and dirt shifted underneath Merlin's raised hand. The power of the gale he summoned grew and more of the scattered hay rose into the air and was tossed about violently. Kanen struggled to keep hold of his black stallion. Many of the villagers and raiders were swept off their feet and cast aside as the gale changed into a raging tornado that whipped everything that was in its reach. What raiders were on horseback either fought to stay on long enough to flee, or were thrown off the saddles and dragged off by their scared horses.

It was difficult to see what was happening. Arthur cut down the raider before him and squinted through the dust that spiralled in the air. All he could see was two people, two people he recognized to be Merlin and Will, standing side-by-side with the tornado feet away from them. The prince raised his shield to protect his eyes as he scanned the village for Kadian, but she and Azura were nowhere to be seen; it was not his sister who had conjured the wind and that meant there was a second sorcerer in Ealdor.

With the advantage on their side, the villagers pried men off their horses and beat them to a pulp with what ever was nearest their grasp. Kanen had dismounted his horse and watched, helplessly, as his men fled the village for cover in the wood.

Then, the tornado dissipated and what raiders were left, escaped the village; they knew too well never to mess with a sorcerer.

And the villagers began to cheer and few that were able chased the remaining raiders from the village.

Arthur stared at the two in front of him; he knew that one of them had summoned the wind.

"_Pendragon!_" Kanen shouted as he came up from behind Arthur. He lifted his arms and his fur cape fell to the mud and dirt that was at his feet. In his grasp was a deathly axe that sought nothing else but to end the prince of Camelot.

Arthur spun his sword in his grasp as Kanen removed his helm to make it a fairer fight. Kanen swung and Arthur slithered under the blow like a snake. Arthur parried the next blow with his shield and passed by Kanen, slicing at the mail that protected the raider's back. The lead raider spun around fast and struck down at Arthur's thigh, only to be blocked with the shield and disarmed with a quick motion of the prince's sword. Arthur jumped back to put distance between him and Kanen with a dark scowl on his face.

Kanen turned and pulled a sword from the lifeless corpse of one of his men. The blood on the sword was a musky brown. Arthur came in and Kanen defended against the low below. Several strikes passed between the two, either being blocked or moved aside, but neither landed a blow on the other. Arthur had stepped too close to Kanen and the raider elbowed him in the face, splitting part of his lip and drawing blood that dripped down the prince's chin.

The prince stumbled back and did not waste time to wipe the blood off his face as Kanen came in. Either the raider's sword met shield or sword, but in the end, Arthur's shield caught the sword on the outside and allowed for Arthur to penetrate the mail with an upward-angled thrust of his sword. He pulled the sword free from Kanen's body.

Kanen stared wide-eyed at Arthur as his breath escaped his lungs. Sounds of anguish and death left his lips as he collapsed onto his knees and, then, to the ground.

Arthur only spared time for one, disgusted glance to Kanen before stepping around the motionless body. His eyes were set on Merlin and Will who turned when Kanen called the prince out. "Who did that?" Arthur growled.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"Wind like that doesn't appear from nowhere. I know magic when I see it," Arthur replied, stopping before the two as he took heavy breaths. "One of you made it happen."

Merlin sighed and went to take a step forward. "Arthur..."

"Look out!" Will shouted and pushed Arthur to the side. From behind, Kanen had grabbed an idle crossbow that one of his dead raiders had dropped. He fired an arrow and it pierced Will in the chest and was stuck inside his heart. With his last attempt a failure, Kanen fell onto his back, limp as stone.

"WILL!" Merlin exclaimed, catching his friend as he fell back from the initial shock of the blow.

Arthur went to catch Will as well. "You saved my life," he said in disbelief.

"Yeah..." Will panted. "I didn't know what I was thinking." The pain was overwhelming and it grew harder for him to breath.

"Come on, get him inside!" Arthur ordered and reached down to lifted one side of Will while Merlin lifted the other. "Get Azura!" If anyone could save Will, it would be her, so Arthur thought.

Two more villagers rushed to aid them carry the grunting and gasping Will. They brought him inside one of the closest houses and laid him upon a wooden slab. Blood poured from the edges of the wound that was hidden by the arrow that stuck out of his body with the dark feathers fanned out. Will struggled for his breath and grunted as his body slowly convulsed. He looked at Arthur, who stood to his right. "That's twice I've saved you."

"Twice?" Arthur replied, puzzled.

"It was me. I'm the one that used the magic," Will said, nodding his head uncontrollably rapid.

"Will, don't..." Merlin said.

"It's all right," Will replied, keeping his gaze fixed on Arthur. "I won't be alive long enough for anyone to do anything to me. I did it. I saw how desperate thing were becoming. I had to do something."

Arthur blinked. "You're a sorcerer?"

Will smiled as he struggled to hold on to the remainder of his life. "Yeah. What are you going to do? Kill me?"

Merlin looked over at the villagers who stood around, watching. He locked gazes with his mother who held a deep sympathy and sadness in her eyes. Azura pushed her way through the villagers with an arm reached across her waist. Kadian and Azura supported each other as they stood. From the moment Azura set her eyes on Will, Merlin knew that there was nothing either she or anyone else could do to save him.

Arthur glanced up at Merlin who returned his sight to his dying friend. "No. Of course not," he said and looked up from the shaking and grunting Will. "Merlin... do what you can for him."

Merlin nodded and watched as Arthur rested a firm hand on Will's shoulder before he turned and walked away from his side. Arthur shifted Azura's weight onto him, relieving Kadian of the job, and they walked out of the house, as did many of the villagers who knew that it was not their place to be.

As the villagers left, Kadian slowly made her way over to Merlin, who wrapped an arm around her when he saw how she struggled to keep her balance.

"I was right about him," Will grunted as his body shook at an uneven pace. "Told you he was going to get me killed."

"You're not going to die," Merlin said, clasping his free hand around the edge of the table. Kadian could tell that he was on the verge of crying.

"You're a great man, Merlin, a great man..." Will rambled, bobbing his head up and down. "One day, you'll be servant to a great king... and now you can make that happen."

"Thanks to you," Merlin replied, wiping his eyes free of the tears that welled up.

Will grunted and struggled to stay alive. His eyes were filled with great pain and by the way his entire body convulsed as one, he was suffering greatly by a torture that could only be stopped in one manner. "This place has been boring without you..." he said with his voice softening with each sound. "It was good to see you again."

"You too," Merlin said, leaning low to be by his friend. His hand slipped off of Kadian's waist. One tear slid down his check and dropped onto the wood beside Will's trembling body.

With what little energy he could spare, Will set his pain-stricken, green eyes upon Kadian whose eyes had glossed with water. "Take care of him, y'hear?" he said and turned to look at Merlin. His breaths grew desperate and expelled from him in gasps that could not be quenched by any amount of air that was around him. His skin was already loosing colour. "Merlin." he said weakly, "Merlin, I'm scared." The tremble in his voice shook his body and more blood poured from the fatal wound.

"Everything's...everything's going to be alright, Will," Merlin said and more tears streamed from his eyes and onto the table beside his friend.

Will continued to say Merlin's name as his breaths grew shorter and his gasps were completely useless. His eyes glazed over grey and his body quaked and twitched until every involuntary motion ceased. Will was staring into Merlin's watering eyes the moment he died and that was the image he was to take to wherever he now walked.

Merlin bent his head over his friend and wept with his forehead against William's motionless chest. The sounds of sadness that filled the room were joined with Kadian's soft cries as she padded Merlin's back. Her tears fell like shimmering jewels down her cheeks and to the floor. She wrapped her arms around Merlin and pulled him to her. His head rested on her shoulder and he wept harder and harder until he was unable to breath and his breaths were short and rapid. Their tears made shallow puddles at their feet and the mood in Ealdor shifted to utter sadness that lingered over them all like a dark, rain cloud.

-x-

From outside, Arthur watched as the male villagers left to collect wood for a funeral pyre for their fallen Prince of Ealdor. Beside him sat Azura in a daze that clouded her eyes with splotches of grey and white. She fought to stay conscious and rested her head on Arthur's protected shoulder. The prince turned his gaze away from the dispersing villagers and to the entrance to the house that Will lay dead in. If he, or anyone else, listened carefully, they could hear Merlin weep for the lost soul of his best friend.

Arthur rubbed Azura's arm, keeping her awake. She started to hum a tune that was both sad and warming. He looked down at the wounds that maimed her right side. It took several minutes of yelling and trial and error for him to stop the bleeding; at one point, he thought Azura was going to make him join William in death by how quickly she became aggravated in her loopy state. There was no explanation for what had happened during the battle, how she miraculously appeared before Kadian when she was standing beside him the second prior. None of it mattered now.

When the pyre was built, the villagers carried William's body from the house and placed him on top of the piled wood. Merlin and Kadian stood with red, puffy faces beside Arthur. Azura leaned against Arthur after arguing with him to let her stand in respect for William.

And then, beautiful, hot flames licked up the dry wood and cracked as it stretched across William's corpse like long, crooked fingers. The flames reached toward the blue sky that was weary with depression. Each and every person who remained alive stood in silence as the fires consumed William as his body, slowly, turned to ash.

"You knew that he was a sorcerer," Arthur said to Merlin who watched with glossy eyes. "That was what you were going to tell me."

"Yes." Merlin said with his voice cracking from his crying.

"You shouldn't have kept this from me, Merlin," Arthur said and took Azura away from the flames that mingled with the colour of her eyes and changed them to a deep violet.

Kadian took her red eyes away from the flames and watched Arthur lift Azura into his arms and carry her inside Hunith's house. There was pity in her heart, but not for the loss of William, but for the ignorance and arrogance that had stricken her brother like a near incurable disease. Her pity for his lack of knowledge was far greater than anything because she knew, they all knew, that William had gone to a better place and would be with each and everyone of them always, in their hearts as long as his name stayed in their memories.

Hunith came up beside them and turned her weepy eyes away from the flames that consumed her second son, whom she watched over like he was her own. "You should go," she said.

"But, I can't leave..." Merlin replied.

"Merlin, I can take care of myself. Arthur needs you," Hunith said and shifted her gaze to Kadian. "He needs both of you. Together, you are strongest and this place is not the place for you. Your place is in Camelot and I know that now."

"Hunith..." Kadian went to say, but Hunith brushed the words away with a look.

"Someday," Hunith continued, looking at her son who was the last to take his dark eyes off of the pyre, "when the time is right, you will tell Arthur the truth. And whenever that may be, is up to you alone, Merlin." She embraced him warmly and pulled Kadian into the embrace as well, careful not to squeeze her too hard.

It took only an hour for them to collect their belongings and set off on their journey back to Camelot. Hunith stood on the edge of Ealdor, with several other villagers at her sides waving good-bye to them as the rode off, into the wood. Azura sat sideways on the saddle in front of Arthur, who held his arms protectively around her. Her mare, Starlust, was tied to the back of the saddle and limped along. To their right, Merlin and Kadian rode side-by-side. All of their faces were tiresome and drained of energy, but the sooner they returned to the grand city, the better the chance of their punishments being less severe.

From the far distance, Kadian and Merlin could still see the raging inferno of the pyre. Silently to themselves, they prayed that William was well looked after, wherever he may be. Throughout their journey, from when the left the village, through the rest stop they took for the evening, and until they reached the open gates of Camelot, they felt like someone was watching over them, a force of some kind. It even felt magical.

-x-

When they arrived in Camelot, late the next day where the sun was far along its descent, Uther was waiting for them at the gates and set the darkest glare he could on his two children. He paid little mind to Merlin who averted his gaze with all his might, but he did not escape a word or two that it was his fault, and his alone, for the wounds that were upon his daughter and Azura. There were no words that passed between the king and prince, there was no need, Arthur knew that the anger that boiled inside his father was great, but would, in time, subside since there would be no war between his and Cendred's kingdom.

Uther sentenced Merlin to four days in the stocks with no food and ignored Kadian's words, more like demands, to have him released immediately. The only thing that refrained Uther from laying a hand on his daughter was the wound that Gaius said would be fatal if it was torn open again. This was only another fracture in the thin sheet of glass that stood between Kadian and her father; and one day, Kadian swore, the glass was going to shatter and a new reign would befall Camelot.

-x-

_**Spells**_

Thanks Eilistraee for the translation

_O'goth l't'larryo illingen, lu'l'torn yuih ji Kadian orn naut thalra streea, naubol mzild -_Mend the broken bones, and heal the torn muscles so Kadian will not meet death, nothing more.

_**Next time on**_** Forbidden Magic and Desire**_**:**_

_**A dark creature prowls in the haze of the wood, growling and hissing around the knights of Camelot. Arthur is poisoned by the monster's vicious bite. It is up to Merlin to journey to an ancient isle to save the once and future king of Camelot, but to do so will cost a valuable price, perhaps a price too great to pay. Someone will never walk through the gates of Camelot again when the lightning strikes and the sky pours the earth's tears.**_


	14. Episode Thirteen: Le Morte d'Arthur

**Rated M for graphic and **_**lemon**_** scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.**

**We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is ****affected**** by their presence.**

*****There is ****lemon**** in this chapter*****

In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: _Merlin_...

-x-

Time swept by like a lone leaf in the wind, twisting and twirling in the gentle gales. A soft breeze swept through the streets in the early hours of the day where the sun just peered over the far horizon, casting the navy sky with pinks and yellows like the petals of the flowers in the royal garden. The nightingales retired for the day, their nightly serenade going with them, and the larks woke from their nests and sang merrily to the yellow rays of the morning sun.

Her fingers danced down his glossy back and down the toned muscles that made her insides twist in delight. His lips caressed her silky skin and kissed her flesh that trembled with excitement and a wild sensation that let a soft moan escape from her lips with each of his strong motions. Her thighs rubbed up against him like two sheets of damask, teasing him. The blankets were resting at their ankles, ruffled from the night's work.

Hollow sounds boomed through the chamber as a plated hand rasped against the door. "Prince Arthur," a husky voice said, "your hunting party awaits you at the front gates."

"I'll be there in a moment..." Arthur's voice was muffled as Azura stole his lips with her own, tracing his bottom lip with her tongue before he swept it away as he pushed forward.

"They grow impatient..." the voice mumbled disappointed and vanished with an echo of heavy footsteps.

Azura sighed depressingly and sat up quickly, forcing Arthur to do the same, and threw her head back as a soft moan escaped her luscious lips. They remained one as Arthur coiled his captivating arms around her, pulling her to his bare chest where she rested her head. His body was hot and trembling, craving more of her as she shifted slightly in his grasp.

Their gaze met and a familiar tickle blossomed in her stomach as Azura saw the eagerness in his eyes to take her again; her eyes no doubt reflected the same wild emotions and she saw how quick his fire was doused when she averted her eyes. "Go on, you," Azura said playfully and kissed him tenderly as she pulled free from his strong embrace and broke their connection. A sudden chill sent shivers up and down her spine when she was out of his grasp and Azura reached from the wrinkled blankets, wrapping them around her to quickly replenish the warmth.

Sighing deeply, Arthur crawled off the bed, shivering as his bare feet touched the cold floor along with the bitter draft. He pulled on his trousers, adjusting them to fit well around his waist, and draped a brown tunic over his broad shoulders, patting out the wrinkles, and pulled a leather vest on. Taking his belt and boots from the table, he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Arthur smiled as Azura rested her chin against his shoulder, watching sleepily with her breaths were warm on the back of his neck.

Arthur pulled on his boots and secured his belt around his waist, enduring the temptation that breathed against his neck. His hands were delicate as they caught Azura's face and he crushed his lips onto hers. "You could come with us, you know," Arthur said, taking his lips reluctantly away and caressed her cheeks with his fingers. He smiled.

"No thank you." Azura shook her head and combed her fingers through his blonde hair that she played with all through the night; it fascinated her and she smiled delightfully. "Killing things is no sport and none that interests me," she stated firmly.

"You'd be more help than Merlin," Arthur grumbled under his breath. He reached up and caught Azura's hands, holding them in his.

When she laughed in her own, cute way, Arthur caught his breath, holding it until he was force to exhale. "Well, you'll just have to make do," she smiled, pecking him on the lips. Arthur did not want to part with her; but he had to endure the loneliness for only a few hours and during those hours, she would be in his thoughts. "I'm crawling under the covers and sleeping 'til the morrow." She yawned and brushed the back of her hand against his cheek before she kissed him there softly, lingering for a moment. "Now, best not keep them waiting much longer."

As she lay back against the flatten pillow, Arthur felt the loneliness settle in underneath his skin and even as he gazed at her, she entered his thoughts. He laughed and rose to his feet. Watching her bend her legs back and snuggle close to the pillow, Arthur smiled even as he felt a pain in his chest as her bright, blue eyes were concealed from him.

-x-

The trees stood silent with a thick, grey mist snaking between the wide trunks, hiding the still surroundings. Hunters stalked through the fog, staying low to the ground as their sight was impaired. Arthur crouched low in the front like the alpha of his own pack of wolves. Beside him holding his spear and game trembled Merlin with his teeth chattering.

A rumbling growl boomed through the fog, shaking the leaves from the crooked tree limbs. Arthur held up a hand and his pack stopped dead in their tread. "Spear," the prince whispered with his gaze fixed before him, searching for the dark silhouette of the beast.

The warlock trembled in his boots as he stared ahead of him. Merlin dropped the spear by Arthur's side as he slowly processed the prince's order.

Slowly, the fog faded around them and the green brush came into sight, glistening with tiny droplets of water the mist had left on its leaves. Arthur scowled and hastily picked up his spear. "Whatever it is, it's probably more afraid of you than you are it," he growled, glaring at Merlin; the servant shook more at the prince's dark glare for it seeped beneath his skin.

Behind the prince and his servant, the knights froze and their loaded crossbows descended to their sides. Their eyes were wide and their mouths were gaping holes on their faces.

_Hhhhiiiissss_.

The chilling sneer forced Arthur to grip his spear tighter. He turned around and had to double-take the sight to check his eyes for lying. The beast was tall on all fours with a muscular body cloaked in yellow fur and brown spots; his heart thumped heavily in his chest. The beast's neck narrowed and grew wider to shape its flat face. The spotted fur morphed into olive-green scales that glistened with the remnants of the mist. Large green serpentine eyes stared down at him and his hunting party with hunger parting its black drawn lips. As the beast drew back its black lips, it bared its long fangs that were as large as the prince's chest.

Arthur felt his heart lurk and skipped a beat. He dropped his spear and turned from the towering monster whose split tongue rasped over its lips.

They broke through the trees running as fast as they could, their breaths fast and sharp and their hearts racing alongside them. The beast chased them with its paws spreading its furred toes to dig its dark, curved claws into the soil. The air was filled with the horrors of the beast's haunting snarls.

Merlin tripped over his boots and stared into the monster's dark eyes as he lay on his back unable to find his footing. Its majestic, sadistic pupils pierced through his petrified heart. The beast rose onto its haunches, lashing the air with its front legs and letting free a bloodcurdling hiss. It reached for him with deathly claws.

Arthur reached down and grasped Merlin by the arm, heaving him to his clumsy feet and pushing him forward. He could hear the screech the monster's claws made against the wind, but he did not linger a second more.

A knight charged forward, his sword lashing through the air in a single, silver flash. He waited until Arthur was a safe distance away before he turned, only to be grasped in the monster's claws.

Arthur stopped and spun around, counting his panting men around him as he exhaled rapidly in exhaustion. "Who are we missing?" he asked frantically; for the first time he was glad that he had not convinced Azura to come. Panic surged through him as his bold eyes swept across the face of his men; the knight who had jumped in front of the beast was no among the tired circle. "Where's Sir Bedievere?"

Slowly, the mist expanded around the trees, veiling the thick, brown trunks from their sights. A pain-filled shriek echoed through the fog, loud enough to have shattered glass. Then, as the shriek faded into oblivion, the monster let loose a noise that sent the birds in the trees flying to the sky. Sir Bedievere was dead.

-x-

The corridors of the palace were barren as the princess roamed aimlessly with the skirt of dress skimming across the floor. Kadian was garbed in an ice-blue damask gown sashed with royal blue. The shirred, trailing sleeves were adorned with black lace. Overall, she looked stunning and bold like she was prepared for a celebration. There was an itch to hear someone else's voice, someone to stop the rambling on her thoughts. However anxious she was for Merlin to return, Kadian was relaxed from sleeping soundly that night, free of the terrible nightmares that had mired her dreams for weeks.

Morgana, the king's ward, had suffered from her own nightmare that night; otherwise Kadian would have sought her for company. The terror left Morgana speechless and trembling in her maidservant's arms.

Her name was called from down the hall and hope swam through her veins when she thought it was Merlin. But as she turned, her gleeful expression turned into that of disappointment. It had been only a servant she had seen numerous times roaming throughout the palace. He ran up to her, gasping for breath. "My lady," he greeted, dipping his head and averting her disappointed gaze, "the king requests you and the Lady Azura in the council chamber immediately."

"What's happened?" Kadian asked; she knew that the merry mood of the city was too good to be true.

"I know little, my lady. Arthur returned from his hunting trip." He fumbled over his words and continued to avert her eyes as he dipped his head again. He raced down the corridor.

Sighing deeply, Kadian spun and journeyed to collect Azura from the mess of Arthur's chamber; she had not heard Azura return to her chamber last night. When she arrived and pulled open the door, Kadian stopped and gazed around in shock. The chamber was spotless without a single object out of place; the bed was made; and a small fire crackled in the fireplace. Azura sat on the windowsill with her legs to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She gazed at the blue sky and the two puffy, white clouds that slowly crawled their way across with the wind. She wore an ivory gown, edged with gold and bedecked with shimmering gemstones. The dress contemplated her figure, each seductive curve.

"I half-expected you to be sound asleep," Kadian laughed and turned to shut the door. She swept her sight across the chamber again. "Did you do all this?"

Azura nodded her head and smiled brightly. However cheerful her smile was, Kadian could see that lost gleam in Azura's bright eyes that stared out the window. "I couldn't sleep after a while. Then, I got bored..." She paused and an amused grin curved her crimson lips further. "And I had trouble finding some _things_."

"So, you decided to clean the entire chamber?" Kadian laughed and raised a curious eyebrow. Azura turned her eyes onto Kadian, meeting her gaze that shifted to concern. "Something has come up. We were sent for."

"Ooh," Azura said gaily and jumped to her feet. "Finally, something trying to destroy Camelot! Never thought I'd miss the thrill so much!"

-x-

The council chamber was full of arguing, disputing men that barely glanced up when Azura and Kadian entered with curious expressions. Uther stood before Arthur, his red cloak ruffled from pacing around in an angry rage. The court physician, Gaius, stepped forward with his hands folded before him. "The creature you describe has all the characteristics of the Questing Beast," he stated knowingly as he looked at Arthur.

Azura's head tilted at the beast's name; she had heard it before in one of her readings.

"Surely, that's a myth," Arthur replied sceptically.

"According the old books," Azura stated softly, silencing the bickering in the chamber, and stared at Gaius. After reading what the physician's eyes said, Azura met Arthur's gaze and found herself blushing with a weak smile as she continued, "The appearance of the Questing Beast is supposed to foreshadow a time of great upheaval. I've read several of the books myself. They are fascinating."

"That's an old wives' tale," Uther said in a grim voice as he stopped beside his son. The king was concerned with the safety of his people, let alone his own hide; he swept his cold gaze across Azura's face and then looked to the physician who bowed his head respectively in retreat.

Arthur met Azura's gaze and knew by the glimmer in her eyes that she spoke the truth. "Look, whatever it is," he said. His eyes lingered on Azura's face, he wanted to catch it in his hands and kiss her lips, but he forced his attention to his father. "It's spreading panic. People fear that it'll enter the city."

"Then we must kill it," Uther said as he gazed down on his hand that rested upon the dark-wood table. Slowly, he lifted his sight from his hand and set it upon his son; if anyone could defeat this beast, the Questing Beast, it would be Arthur and his knights for they were the strongest warriors in Albion. "Arthur, gather the guard together. You ride at dawn."

No one within the chamber said a word against the king's order. Many left to return to their duties or prepare to ride out at dawn as part of the guard. Arthur took Azura's hand and led her from the chamber where he asked about her readings on the beast; he wanted to have a tactical advantage against it.

Kadian passed slowly by the two guards that were stationed at the door. Her steps grew slower and she listened as Gaius begged Uther to see reason. The physician said the beast was an omen and the last time the Questing Beast was seen near Camelot was the night Uther' wife, Ygraine, had passed away. Kadian vanished out of sight when Uther snapped and demanded Gaius to never speak of the night again; her father's outburst made her snicker beneath the cover of her breath. His ignorance was amusing.

-x-

Merlin stood in the centre of the physician's chamber and held Arthur's sword in his hand as he checked the shine of the silver; he did not have long to prepare Arthur's equipment. The sight of the monster still haunted his sight and thoughts and at every sudden creak, he jumped, fearing for his life.

The door shut soundlessly behind Kadian. Her gaze met Merlin's and a faint smile curved her pink lips, a smile that turned Merlin's cheeks red. "The Questing Beast, ever heard the name?" she wondered and took the sword from him; he looked ridiculous holding it. Holding the blade at eye level, Kadian saw the shine was unbalanced and sighed. She took the cloth from Merlin and rubbed it against the steal.

"Once, I never believe it to be real..." Merlin paused and dropped her gaze; shivers went up and down his spine as his hand rubbed against his neck, feeling the slight, repetitive motions of his artery. "Seeing is believing," Merlin shrugged.

Kadian placed her brother's sword onto the table before her. She rested a hand on Merlin's shoulder, turning him to her, but he would not meet her eyes. Their hearts leapt and they flinched as Gaius threw open the door and walked it.

"Oh, good," the physician said and sent a smile toward Kadian. He walked to his shelf of books that were stacked one on top of the other, bending the wood to where Kadian thought it would snap. Without disturbing the idle books, Gaius pulled one free and set it on his bench, flipping open the stiff, aged-yellow pages.

Kadian let her hand fall as her heart beat with the growing suspense in the chamber. She walked toward Gaius, watching as each aged page rose and fell against the others. "This is no ordinary beast," Gaius stated knowingly and leaned back as his hand pressed against the proper page.

"Don't worry," Merlin sighed and lifted Arthur's sword; he was pleased to see that Kadian evened the shine.

"No, you don't understand, Merlin," Gaius scowled, pushing the book toward Kadian when she motioned for it. His voice was low when he spoke again, maybe even chilling, "Uther may not respect the old religion, but it is very real. To defeat a beast such as this, you must know where it came from."

"What do you mean?" Merlin wondered and placed the sword gently on the bench. He walked over to stand behind Kadian and read the tiny print over her shoulder, glancing at the drawing of the beast.

"In the centre of the old religion lies that power of life and death, Merlin..." Kadian said and paused as she relocated her place in the text. Her voice was soft and mono-toned as she read from the passage, "_'The Questing Be__ast carries the power of death...'_," She turned at met his dark, wondrous gaze. "'_With one bite, its prey will die a prolonged and painful death. There is no cure; it is the bite of Death itself'_."

Disbelieving, Merlin lifted the text into his arms and read the passage for himself, fumbling over several long words that he had never heard before. His heart was heavy and still beat rapidly as his panic rose again; when the guard rode out at dawn, there was no cure to save them if anyone was bitten by the monster. Merlin's arms began to tremble as he slowly turned his head to lock gazes with Kadian; her eyes were riddled with worry that matched his own. What if the Questing Beast bit Arthur?

-x-

It was a horrific scene to have dreamed. I made her quake and lunge forward, crying out in fright that woke half the palace. Before her eyes, she saw the venomous fangs of the Questing Beast and the lifeless face of the prince of Camelot as he lay limp on the ground in a pool of his own, crimson blood.

A vision of fire swept across her sight and her quivering lips expelled a loud scream. Her trembling hands clasped against the sides of her head as it shook wildly, trying to escape from the horror she had seen.

Her maidservant threw open the door and ran to her mistress. Guinevere embraced Morgana and held her close. "It's alright, Morgana," she cooed and stoked Morgana's dark curls. "It was just a nightmare."

-x-

Dawn painted the horizon, streaking rays of pink and yellow across the waking sky. Prince Arthur stood before his armed knights. His knights wore shining, silver mail and long, red cloaks that hung limp at their sides. The cavalry seemed small to be hunting such a large, terrifying beast, but they were deemed the best warriors in the land.

From high in the east tower, Kadian peered out of her window. Her hair tumbled onto her shoulders in golden waves and dark circles lingered beneath her blue eyes.

Merlin stood in the square behind Arthur with his hands rubbing together, drenched with nervous sweat. Throughout the night, he and Kadian practised spells he would use if the hunt went south.

Waiting patiently with Merlin was Azura; she wanted to wish Arthur luck before he ventured out. Her gaze was on the ground, memorizing the position of each tiny grain of sand and each pebble. She knew the Questing Beast was dangerous and lethal. She was scared for Arthur and it slowed the pace of her heart to know that he was going to face it with a sword in hand.

"You've seen the foe we face," Arthur stated, sweeping his bold, blue gaze across the stern faces of the Knights of Camelot. His encouraging voice lifted Azura's gaze from the ground. "It's a creature of nightmare. But you are the best knights in the realm. We can and we will kill it, before it harms another citizen of our kingdom." He drew his sword from his waist and lifted the point toward the brightening sky. "For the love of Camelot."

Each knight did the same and held their shimming, silver blades high in the crisp morning air. "For the love of Camelot!" They chanted with their voices proudly ringing throughout the stirring streets.

As their voices faded away, the guard sheathed their blades and waited to depart for the wood. Azura stepped to Arthur who took her hands in his and kissed them softly. When she spoke to him, words only meant for his ears, Arthur felt like he was invincible, nothing could tear him down. "Stay in its blind spot." Her voice was higher now; everyone could hear her soft tones. The sunlight hit her eyes in a way that seemed like they were glowing and Arthur was lost in them. "Hurry home."

Arthur nodded and let her hands fall from his grasp. He was drowning in her eyes, falling into them as they stared up at him. It hurt him to break their gaze, but he kissed the top of her head and caressed her cheeks with his hands. If this was to be his last moment with her, Arthur wanted to savour it and let his heart beat uncontrollably. Deep inside his chest, around his heart, there was a burden he wanted to say, scream out; but as his lips went to form the words that boiled inside him, a voice rang through the courtyard.

"_Arthur!_" A cry rang from the open doorway leading into the palace. Dressed in her white nightgown and horror-stricken eyes, Morgana appeared in the doorway and ran down the stone staircase.

"Mor-Morgana, what are you doing?" Arthur asked perturbed; he stepped back as Morgana gripped him by the shoulders.

"You cannot face it!" Morgana shouted ominously; her voice was trembling on her lips as she spoke.

Arthur grasped her arms lightly and pulled her off of him. He looked her straight in the eye and the expression his face held soften as her petrified eyes pierced him. "Morgana, go back to bed. There is nothing to be afraid of."

Morgana did not falter as Azura replaced Arthur's hands on her arms. Her voice was begging now and she tried to free her arms, but the attempt was thwarted. "Please, Arthur... I've seen terrible things. You cannot go."

"She probably had another nightmare, Arthur," Azura said softly and pulled Morgana to her, embracing her and combing her fingers through her hair. "I'll take her to see Gaius."

"No! I will not let you go!" Morgana shouted and threw her arms in many directions, hoping to pull herself free from Azura's grasp. Again, Azura's grasp was too strong to pull from and her arms were turning red.

"Please, Azura, get her inside," Arthur sighed and evaded Morgana's frightened eyes. Her pleas were like knives cutting through him, but he had to endure them because he was the prince; Arthur had to go after the Questing Beast.

Azura nodded and let her eyes linger over his face as she pulled Morgana up the stairs; he met her gaze and soundlessly spoke the burden he wanted to release. "Merlin will make sure he's safe," Azura whispered in Morgana's ear as two guards stepped back to allow them passage into the palace.

Morgana thrashed and screamed at the top of her lungs, but there was nothing she could do to escape Azura's grasp. Kadian rushed down the corridor, her nightgown billowing in the air as she ran, and she wrapped her arms around Morgana, holding to her chest. Sending a curious, concerned gaze to Azura, Kadian knew what Morgana had seen: Arthur's death at the claws of the Questing Beast.

"What do you suppose we do?" Kadian wondered softly; she saw the worry in Azura's eyes as she watched the knights turn in unison and march out of the city with Arthur in the lead.

"There is nothing we can do," Azura sighed shakily. She turned her aquamarine eyes onto Kadian; they were filled with a familiar sadness that hit Kadian square, causing her heart to sink to the bottom of her chest. "It will come as..." She gazed over at the guards who had disappeared down the corridor, "as she has seen it. You know that as much as I."

"Surely there's something..." Kadian protested, guiding Morgana in the direction of her chamber

"Merlin."

-x-

The grey haze grew around them, pulsating like exhaled breaths. The knights crept into the depths of the trees that hid the lair of the Questing Beast. Arthur stalked in the front of the guard, with Merlin trailing only a foot or so behind him, holding a crossbow across his arms and trembling in his boots. Sneers and growls of hidden creatures encircled the lot of them, taunting them and warning them of the danger to come.

Merlin could not get Morgana's voice out of his mind, her warning and her nightmare that presaged Arthur's death. He looked ahead of Arthur where a grey mouth opened into the darkness of the underground caves. Dark, depressing caverns, always welcoming, he thought as he and several of the guard lit torches.

Into the dark caves they ventured, the torchlight spewing orange and yellow across the moist, rock walls. From the belly of the caves, the hiss of the Questing Beast could be heard, shaking the pebbles from their places. It grew louder as they proceeded, surrounding them on all sides. Looking about, Arthur motioned for the guard to take the surrounding pathways into the pit of the caves while he and Merlin continued forward.

Merlin stayed close to Arthur, close enough where Arthur kicked him back a few steps to give him some elbow-room. The flames licked up the torch, snapping in the crisp, ominous haze that swerved through their illuminated path. Merlin could hear his heart racing in his chest, hoping to make an escape before the beast grasped it in its powerful jaws and crushed the pulse from it.

They stepped into an open, rock-filled cavern where the sky was cloaked with the emerald roves of the trees. The grey fog was disappearing and revealed a second cave across the way.

Arthur continued forward, sword in hand, and gazed around the cavern. Merlin stopped and glanced about him frantically. A horrible, stomach-churning feeling squeezed his insides tightly. Everything went silent, not even the cracking embers by his ears made a noise.

It happened so quickly, Merlin did not see where the beast had come from.

The Questing Beast leaped down from its perch and reached forward, catching Arthur from behind. Its long, serpentine teeth sunk through Arthur's armour and through his flesh, bone and muscles and lifted him into the air. Arthur's breath was lost and his trusty sword slipped from his fingers; the pain was brutal and his body shook as the beast tossed him away. His head collided with a thick, pile of rubble and he fell flat on his back. The last thing Arthur saw was the monster's split eyes staring ravenously at him.

The torch and crossbow slipped from Merlin's hand; he knew that they were useless against this creature like they were with the Griffin. "HEY!" he shouted, waving his arms in the air; the beast turned its attention onto the young warlock, its eyes piercing through him like a fleet of soaring arrows. Merlin cautiously stepped toward where Arthur lay with a pool of his blood expanding from his wounds.

The beast lashed a paw through the air and Merlin leapt back. His mind was jumbled, jumping from thought to thought, and the fright of his destiny shattering before him summoned an energy, a great power he had never felt before. Merlin's hand extended toward Arthur's idle sword and the young warlock, despite his master lying only a feet away, incanted, "_Fleoge.__ Bregdan anweald gafeluec_!"

The blade rose into the air and the point pierced through a barrier that engulfed the steel in beautiful, voracious blue and white tongues of fire. A shrill shriek left the voluminous mouth of the Questing Beast and it threw its skull back. The sword lanced its neck, spilling its dark crimson blood onto the earth. Then, the beast collapsed on its side, leaving its cold, lifeless eyes to stare at Merlin. Rivers of blood streamed down its flank, tainting its green scales and leopard-print fur red with death.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted and raced over to the prince; his heart was beating heavily as he examined the mortal wounds. He shook the prince by the shoulders, hoping to wake him, but it was useless; Merlin's hands were caked in warm, scarlet blood. "Somebody help me!" His voice echoed through the shadows of the caves hinderingly, and the guard came running with their swords held above their heads.

-x-

The door to the court physician's chamber was thrown open and the king raced in with his eyes wide; his heart was panicking, thumping uncontrollably in his chest. "Where's my son?" He stopped; his gaze fell upon his motionless son who lay across Gaius' work bench. "Arthur!" Dried and fresh blood soaked through the prince's armour. The king leaned over his son and grasped him by the shoulders as if to cradle him. "Do something, Gaius!" Uther begged.

"I am trying, your majesty," Gaius said tranquilly and dipped his head, eluding the king's eyes as they fell on him.

There was blood and dirt smeared across Merlin's face. He watched the king hover over his son and confidently he stated, "Gaius will find a cure." Merlin took a deep breath. "He will not let him die."

Gaius turned to Merlin and rested a warning stare on him. "I will do everything in my power," Gaius clarified and turned back to the king.

Uther pulled Arthur's dead weight onto him and hoisted him into his arms. His voice was trembling over his lips as he spoke weakly, "I will bring him to his chamber." Perhaps it was the adrenaline of a petrified, poor man that gave Uther the strength to bear Arthur's weight, but nonetheless, Uther carried his son, his only son, out of the physician's chamber with a false attempt to hold back the tears that welled in his cold eyes.

Merlin stood frozen with his eyes dark and absent. Behind him lay closed the magic books he kept hidden in his chamber. The spells upon the tattered, yellow pages were futile and held no effect over Prince Arthur; the Questing Beast had bit him and there was no cure for the monster's deadly venom.

-x-

Uther's arms trembled under the weight of his wounded son; he bore Arthur across the courtyard with a waning expression and cold, glassy eyes. Citizens that mingled in the courtyard stopped to take in the sight curiously; their hands rose to their gaping mouths when they saw the blood that leaked from the prince's limp figure. Uther's knees grew weak beneath him and he dropped onto the stone; his chin fell to his chest as the tears he fought streamed down his cheeks like tiny rivers.

A distressed shriek lifted Merlin and the physician's gaze from the weeping king. "Arthur!" Azura cried and raced down the cold marble steps with her feet bare. Her silk, ivory gown ripped as she dropped to her knees before the king. "Arthur! Speak to me, love. Speak to me!" she sobbed with her voice cracking; she met the king's glossy eyes and her tears dripped from her eyes as her gaze cascaded upon Arthur's unresponsive face.

A knight gently moved her aside and joined several others in lifting the prince from the king's quaking arms. Azura remained on her knees and cried into her hands harder than she had when she knelt before Jaiden's cold body. But her sobs were not alone and rang in unison with the king's.

Kadian stepped back against the wall as the knight's carried her motionless brother. Her pink lips quivered and she raised a shaking hand to them. There was a knot in her chest that prevented her from weeping like her father and Azura; the shock was too great. Once the knights had passed, she stepped into the doorway and gazed across the frozen courtyard. Her father rose to his trembling feet and pulled Azura to him, embracing her tightly and comforting; a way Kadian had never had the pleasure of having.

Slowly, her eyes moved onto Merlin and were transfixed in his absent gaze. His thoughts were readable like they were written across his face; there was no doubt that he could read hers.

Feeling an invisible force upon him, Merlin set his sight onto the king and Azura. Her bright blue eyes stared at him in a sadistic, lamenting manner. Water beaded at the corners of her eyes and slowly descended down her red cheeks. Merlin could see it in her eyes, no needed to translate it into words: she blamed him for this; it had been his job to protect Arthur.

-x-

Merlin raced down the corridor toward the dungeons with Kadian at his heels; she was calling his name but he would not respond. He lit a torch with a quick mutter of an enchantment and grasped hold of the wood. Kadian reach up and folded her hand around his. "Merlin," she said softly; she lock gazed with him, "you _need_ to calm down."

He looked down at her, lifting the torch from his holder on the wall; his dark eyes were mad, filled with panic. "Calm down? You want _me_ to calm down?" Merlin replied hastily, his voice a big slur as his breaths expelled rapidly.

The sound of marching steps echoed throughout the corridor and Kadian spun around only to be grasped by the arms by two soldiers. Merlin stepped forward, resting a protective hand on her shoulder. "Orders of the king," one said through his helmet and pulled Kadian to him. "Princess Kadian is to be put under lock and key."

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Kadian hissed; her eyes widened and she reached out to Merlin as the guards pulled her from his protective grasp. "Merlin!" The guards were forced to lift her into the air; she fought them all the way down the corridor.

Merlin dropped his torch and ran after them, but a third guard was waiting at the top of the stairs and hit him in the gut. He gasped for air and he fell to his knees with his scrawny arms holding his midsection. From the knees, he feebly watched the soldiers force Kadian out of sight; her cries and demands to be let free echoed through his ears and made his blood boil. Their eyes met for a brief moment, staring into the depths of their souls; Merlin was force to break the connection. A strange feeling cooled his boiling blood; he felt his heart twist as he thought, _Is this what waits for us..._ He paused, lifting his gaze to the barren corridor lying before him; the thought sickened him, but his heart ached with the truth. _Being torn apart._

Merlin rose to his shaking feet and his balance swayed and his vision spun. Then, as the corridor froze, he spun around and took hold of the blazing torch. He vanished into the depths of the dark dungeons, wishing he had chased the soldiers and freed Kadian from their vicious hands. But no, something compelled him to travel to the caverns beneath the palace; an inevitable thought that he had suppressed for too long.

-x-

The Great Dragon was waiting for him upon his mighty throne of stones that cracked underneath his golden body. The Dragon's shining, gold eyes watched Merlin as he tried to form sentences with the jumping words in his mind. The beast flexed his claws and flared out his wings, folding them at his sides and curling his spiked tail around his scaly paws.

"I've failed Arthur, failed in my destiny," Merlin stated with his voice heavy with guilt; he did not meet the Dragon's jewel-like eyes.

"And yet you would not be here if that were true," the Great Dragon replied and tipped his massive skull.

Merlin lowered his torch and stared up at the last Dragon in the world. His voice was heavy with sorrow and unrelenting guilt as he spoke, "He was bitten by the Questing Beast. He's going to die."

"Does he still breathe?" questioned the Dragon and raised his scaled eyebrows as a puff of grey smoke expelled from his narrow nostrils.

His gaze dropped to the toe of his boot; Merlin regretted the words as he spoke them, "Only just."

Tilting his head to the other side, the Great Dragon stated knowingly, "Then there is still time to heal him."

"I've tried, I cannot save him," Merlin argued; he gazed up at the Dragon, rage tainting his eyes and burned his cheeks red.

The Dragon seemed to grin as he watched the orange firelight dance in the young warlock's eyes. He moved his neck to lower his head. "You do not know how to save him." His voice was calm and riddled with centuries of knowledge.

"But you can tell me how?" Merlin wondered. Hope sparked through the pool of doubt in Merlin's eyes.

"Perhaps," the Dragon said; his yellow teeth reflected the firelight. He eyes narrowed and he lowered his voice. "It will not be easy."

"I will do anything," Merlin stated bluntly and leaned toward the Dragon, intrigued.

"Anything?" The Dragon curiously tilted his head to the opposite side and blinked.

"Please." Merlin begged. "Just tell me what I have to do!"

Nodding his head slowly up and down, the Dragon replied, "Very well." He paused to collect his ancient thoughts. "The Questing Beast is a creature conjured by the powers of the Old Religion. You must use the same ancient magic to save him."

"But the Old Religion died out centuries ago," Merlin replied and raised an eyebrow.

Perturbed by the warlock's lack of knowledge, the Dragon flared out his huge, golden wings and bared his yellow teeth. "The Old Religion is the magic of the earth itself. It is the essence which binds all things together. It will last long beyond the time of men." His large eyes stared down at the warlock who trembled nervously as his voice reached his ears.

"But how can _that_ help me save Arthur?" Merlin asked dumbfounded.

"You must find those who still serve it. Those who hold dominion over life and death," the Dragon instructed and kneaded his throne of rocks.

"Azura?"

A deep cackled boomed from the Dragon's throat and his claws dug into the rocks. "Bah. The _elf_ does not hold the power over life and death, nor will she ever, young warlock. The elves may be the masters of light, but they are not Arthur's salvation." A cloud of thick smoke expelled from his nostrils; it spiralled in the air and vanished moments later.

"Then where?" Merlin asked annoyed; he was frustrated by everyone, even himself. It was his destiny, his job to stop this from ever happening, and he had failed.

The Dragon blinked and took in a long, suspenseful breath. "Go to the place that men call the Isle of the Blessed, where the power of the ancients can still be felt," he said; his voice boomed like thunder throughout the cavern, shaking the hanging rocks until several plummeted into the shadows. "There you will discover Arthur's salvation."

Merlin took a sharp breath and let the Dragon's words sink in; there was hope, more than hope. "Thank you," he said gratefully; he swept his across the Dragon's snout and the teeth that lingered beneath his golden lips, and turned to the cave from which he came. "Thank you."

"And Merlin..." the Dragon called after him; his thunderous voice spun the young warlock around like his words were a spell. The Dragon's voice was grim as he added, "The young Pendragon must live, no matter what the cost."

Merlin nodded and vanished around the rock wall, climbing the steps two at a time. He needed to tell Kadian, tell her that there was still hope to save Arthur from death. He wanted to scream it from the tallest tower of the palace, but yet the Dragon's last words haunted him. He placed the torch in his holder and raced up to the main floor of the castle. What cost would he have to pay? A large sum of gold? Jewels? His life?

He froze in mid-step and stared at the empty corridor that lay before him. _A life for a life_, he thought gravely and continued on his way.

-x-

When Merlin returned to the court physician's chamber, his journey was not taken lightly by Gaius who had finished preparing a potion that was to ease Arthur's passing. In a series of heated words, the physician warned him that it was a life to be paid to save another. Gaius tried with all his might to convince Merlin otherwise; he did not want to see him die, but Merlin's mind was made up.

As Merlin went to climb the stairs to his chamber, Gaius said quizzically, "What will you tell Kadian, Merlin? That Arthur's life is worth more to you than your relationship with her?"

Merlin stopped dead in his tracks and placed his arm against the wall, resting his head against it. He pictured the guards pulling them away from each other every time he caressed her soft skin, combed his fingers through her white-blonde hair, and kissed her lips tenderly like he had done so many times before. He could not bear to see it happen and he felt that it would be wrong of him to put her through that. "I won't tell her anything."

He disappeared into his chamber to pack his belongings for his long journey across the White Mountains and to the Isle of the Blessed.

-x-

Kadian peered out her window as the dawn light stretched across the waking sky. The streets of the city were buzzing with life as the merchant opened their stands for the public and the day began. In the lively courtyard, Merlin saddled a tan horse and secured his saddlebags. She wondered where he was going and what the Dragon had said to him. As soundly as she slept, she felt restless as she roamed around her chamber, trying the locked door over and over again in hope that a thick guard had unlocked it. Below, Gaius approached Merlin and exchanged words with each other that Kadian longed to hear.

Then, Gaius handed Merlin a map and a small parcel that Kadian could not see from her cage. The physician tried to take it back but Merlin held it protectively against his chest and seemed happy to have been given whatever it was. They embraced warmly and said more words that made Merlin's face droop with a hint of sorrow.

Kadian watched Merlin ride out of Camelot and into the black shadows of the trees; not once did he glance back in hope to catch a glimpse of her.

-x-

Merlin travelled through dense wood and vast plains of emerald grass that swayed to the side as the daunting wind howled from the east. Beyond the White Mountains he went, glancing at the map Gaius had provided him. His horse did not grow weary and cantered and galloped up the high ravines and over the tall mountains. Then, the young warlock passed through the Valley of the Fallen Kings where the flowers were vibrant oranges and pinks, shedding their soft petals as the wind blew.

When it grew cold at night, Merlin hugged his brown jacket around him and pressed the horse onward. He stopped only three times that day to supply the horse with water and to relieve himself.

As twilight set upon the second night, the Great Seas of Meredor were in his sight, reflecting the warm sky on its crystalline surface. He held the horse steady on top of the hill and looked down at the sea, finding himself alone as the breeze swept dust around him, curling the waters over in tiny waves against the shores. He longed for a warm, caring hand to be wrapped around his and a voice to be whispering in his ear to douse the eerie silence that was around him; but there was no one with him. Merlin had to take this journey alone for it was to be his last. Even as he spurred the horse into a slow trot, he wished he had told Kadian where he was going and what was waiting for him after this quest. He did not doubt that she would have gladly ridden with him for days until they found the isle; this costly burden was for him to bear alone.

It was not far now until he would reach the lake of which the Great Dragon had spoken. There he would find the Isle of the Blessed and Arthur's salvation.

-x-

The mourning city, hills, and trees were cast in a thick darkness as twilight reached across the heavens. The vast horizon was painted with navy and amber that greyed the thick clouds that rolled in from the west. The prince's breaths had grown shallower and seemed non-existent. The only sign of life were the occasional groans that escaped his quivering lips as he fought death. Dirty, linen bandages covered his deep wounds, stained crimson with his blood and drenched with his sweat. His right arm was limp at his side, bound tight with a tourniquet and his face held dark bruises that contrasted his pale skin.

Azura sat on the left edge of his bed, the one they shared many nights before. She held his sweaty hand in hers, stroking the back of it soothingly with her thumb. She thought analytically about everything; their nonsensical fights and bickering; their times together; and, most importantly, their times apart. They all seemed to be faint memories like Arthur had already gone.

Sighing heavily, Azura set her sad eyes on his face; it pained her to see him in such pain. But then, his cringing face relaxed as she took away some of his pain and replaced it with energy to live on; a power she had master throughout the years under the teachings of her mother.

There was a knot in her chest that refused to be untied; a lingering guilt that sealed her lips on so many occasions, but as she spoke so softly, it started to pull apart. "There are some things... things I should have told you a long time ago. Some before all this began..." She paused and let her tender voice fade with the silence of the palace; she felt tears well up in her eyes. "I don't recall _ever_ saying this, but I knew that you always knew and longed to hear my voice say the words." She choked on her tears and wiped them away as she glanced around the chamber. Adoringly, she reached up with her hand and brushed his damp hair from his face. "I love you, Arthur Pendragon, more than anyone or anything in the world."

She paused and let his hand fall from her grasp. Nervously, she combed her fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face and behind her ears. "But, there is something else... something that you should have known such a long time ago." She choked on her words again. "There was never the right moment to tell you... with everything happening." Azura paused as she fought her defences for the words she swore never to speak. "I'm..." Her voice was caught at the initial sounds of her voice. Azura stared straight ahead of her; she saw a large shadow move across the fire-lit wall.

The door creaked behind her and she whipped her head around, startled by the sudden intrusion. When she saw the king standing halfway in the doorway, her heart lurked and skipped a long beat. How long had he been standing there? Had he been listening to her talk?

Uther met her surprised stare and for a moment, he seemed interested in what she was going to say, but it soon faded. "I am sorry," he apologized, dropping her gaze. "You can continue. I'll wait outside."

"No, my lord," Azura replied shakily and slid off the bed to her feet. "I know how much you wish to spend what little time there is with your son. I will go."

The king shook his head and closed the door silently behind him. "Nonsense," he said and walked over to the opposite side of the bed where a chair was resting idly. "Sit."

Obediently, Azura retook her seat at Arthur's side and took up his hand again, holding it on her lap. She refused to meet the king's gaze; it was the same as Arthur's. There was little life in Arthur, Azura could feel with one touch how dim it was; but it still burned and fought the darkness.

Outside in the courtyard, many of the citizens of Camelot stood with their cloaks drawn around them and flickering candles in their hands. The tiny, amber fires reached for the prince's window in a silent good-bye. It had begun the long journey of grief. During the day, the sky would stay grey with thick clouds; and the nights held no stars and the moon was invisible.

"He cared for you a great deal," Uther said softly; his eyes swept across his son's still face and it hurt him to see Arthur this way, slowly walking toward death.

A smile curved her pink lips and Azura glanced at the king. "I know." Her voice held no emotion.

"Did you two ever talk about what would have come if this hadn't happened?" Uther wondered. It had not escaped his attention that they had grown close, nearly inseparable.

"No. There was never the time," Azura stated softly, averting the king's quizzical eyes; her gaze was transfixed on Arthur's grimacing face and quivering lips as pain surged through his wounded body. A soft coo escaped her lips and his face relaxed as he took a deep, shrill breath.

By the way she looked at Arthur now; Uther could see that she was hurting far worse than the king had ever seen. He could relate to the pain. Uther had spent hours holding his dead wife in his arms, begging for life to come back to her. "I want you to know that you will be well looked after," the king stated promisingly, moving his gaze away. "You will always have a home here in Camelot."

"For me, my lord, there is no Camelot without him." Her voice was a mere whisper, barely audible. The chamber fell silent; even Arthur's struggles for breath and life were soundless. Again, Azura took more of Arthur's pain away, feeling it start to spike as the subtle tension grew. A tear fell down Azura's cheek and she wiped it away quickly. "I wish that there was some way... some way I could save him. It would take a miracle..."

"I do not believe in miracles," Uther grumbled lowly and sat back in his chair, rubbing his hand down his son's arm.

Slowly, Azura turned to him with a darkened stare that frightened Uther slightly. "Then, you do not believe there is hope," she spat, rising to his feet. Her fingers lingered on Arthur's hand for a long moment until his hand fell lifelessly against the mattress. Azura bowed her head to the king in decency if nothing else. "Sire."

She rushed from the chamber.

-x-

"No one is allowed to enter the Lady Kadian's chamber," the stationed guard said firmly as Azura approached the seal door and reached for the handle.

Azura scowled at the guard; he was twice her size. "Surely, that doesn't include me," she hissed and continued her reach for the handle. "I wish to speak to her and I shall." When she found the door to be locked, she held out her hand to the guard and flexed her impatient fingers for him to hand over the key.

The guard stayed still and averted her gaze.

Azura wiped her face with the back of her hand. Her face was red from crying. "Do not make this harder than it already is," she said sobbingly and held out her hand again.

Reluctantly, the guard reached for the key on his belt and hastily handed it to her. He turned away as she unlocked the door and stepped inside without a sound.

Kadian jumped from her seat on the windowsill. Her heart skipped a beat as Azura shut the door and locked it, tossing the key onto the table. "Azura," was all Kadian managed to say before she embraced her friend tightly. Azura's arms shakily rose to return the embrace and fell moments later as Kadian stepped back, dropping her arms. "How is he?"

"Not well," Azura sighed and wiped her puffy eyes as she took a seat on the edge of Kadian's bed. "He will not survive for much longer."

Kadian ran a hand through her hair and turned to the window; the grieving light of the candles reached the glass. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I can take his pain, but I cannot cure him. It is out of my power," Azura replied heavily as she bit her bottom lip; she went to weep but all her tears were dry. She had to change the subject and keep her mind from the madness of sorrow. "Have you seen Merlin?"

"He left Camelot two days ago. I haven't spoken to anyone since I was shut away," Kadian stated angrily and crossed her arms at her chest. She turned to Azura. "I don't understand why my father would do this."

Azura shrugged and gradually rose to her feet. "Maybe he wants to make sure that you will live long enough to take your oaths," she said unsurely. Her feet carried her forward and then back again in a dizzying pace.

Kadian watched Azura pace, admiring how her graceful steps made it seem like she was hovering over the ground. "What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously.

"Merlin left two days ago. That means he found a way to save Arthur, or at least try." Azura stopped dead in her gait and stared into Kadian's wondrous eyes; she read the princess' thoughts and found it right to answer them the best she could. "There is an island far from here, the Isle of the Bless-_ed_."

"_Blessed_," Kadian corrected laughingly.

"Bless-_ed_, that's what I said."

Kadian rolled her eyes. "I've heard of it. Gaius was rambling on and it came up some time ago. Isn't it the centre of magic?"

"It's the centre of the Old Religion, yes. I should have thought of it sooner. I'm surprised Merlin had; that boy is much brighter than he looks," Azura complimented tapping her cheek with her index finger. "He didn't tell or send word to you that he was going there? I thought that's what the two of you do, plot together."

"He didn't," Kadian replied softly. The past two days she wondered why he had just packed his bags and rode out of the city without telling her anything. When it came to magic, they did everything together.

"Strange." Azura walked to the window and stared out at the starless sky. Her eyes trailed over to the flickering flames upon the wicks of the candles. There were so many of them, whipping the cold night air.

"What?" Kadian asked, moving to stand behind Azura as she gazed down at the dozens of tiny flames; it was like the flames had taken the places of the stars and constellations of the heavens.

"...To save a life, one must be given."

-x-

At dawn, a faint, blue mist spiralled through the trees as Merlin rode through the wood. There was a musky scent on the air and he knew that he had to be close to the lake. The air was cold and the wind was moist against his face. As the horse trotted through the trees, Merlin looked straight ahead; his eyes widened as he saw the shore of the lake where the wind curled the waves over each other. An old, wooden dock extended into the shallows of the lake and beside it swayed a small wooden boat with a tattered, black flag waving in the wind.

Relieved, Merlin dismounted and patted the horse on his snout as he led it over to a tree were he secured the reins to a low limb. The sky was riddled with thick, grey clouds where only faint rays of sunlight managed to seep through. Taking his bag and blanket with him, Merlin stepped onto the creaking dock and slowly approached the waiting boat. He stepped onto the tiny ship and felt it shift underneath him, but it stayed upright and Merlin placed his pack down at the bow. Raising his right hand over the aged wood, he incanted softly, "_Astyre_."

Suddenly, the boat jerked forward and Merlin quickly took his seat as the boat was pulled into the rough waters by an invisible force. The boat slowly progressed, piercing through the waves as it went. The mist grew thick across the surface of the deep-blue waters, making it difficult to say what lay ahead.

Hours seemed to pass as the boat drifted forward at a snail's pace. Cold water sprayed onto Merlin's face and he wiped it away.

Then, he saw what he was looking for: the Isle of the Blessed. It towered over the dark waters with its broken stone walls that were as majestic as they would have been when they were first raised. Crooked, emerald vines snaked up the moist walls that held secret passages into the stronghold. The boat entered the isle and the walls narrowed around Merlin with walkways hanging high above the waters that lead into other chambers that had been destroyed with age. There were shadows cast everywhere and some stalked Merlin as the boat pressed onward through the leave-caked waters.

The boat stopped at an open alcove where a single set of stairs led up, into the heart of the isle. Hesitantly, Merlin stepped onto the stone steps and continued to scale the steps until he came to an open courtyard. There was no roof and the pale light beamed down onto the stone table that sat mightily in the centre. Around the table was luscious green grass moist with glossy dew. What once stood as stone pillars encircled the table were cracked and withered. Looking about, Merlin said, "Hello?"

"Hello, Merlin," a feminine voice replied eerily on the wind.

Merlin spun around and gaped at who stood beside the stone table. Her raven locks were pulled back and her deep, ravishing blue eyes stared intriguingly at him. She wore a tattered, wine-red dress that went down to her bare knees.

"You." Merlin gasped.

"Do you know who I am?" the woman questioned, grinning her wine-red lips.

"Nimueh," Merlin replied softly; his mind was swimming with spells to say.

Her grin grew as she watched him shake his head.

"You can't be who the Dragon meant," Merlin stated and leaned away from her.

"And why is that?" Nimueh asked curiously and tilted her head, blinking once.

Merlin stared vengefully into her eyes. "You tried to kill me."

"Before I understood your importance," Nimueh smiled her voice ringing with pride.

Looking away, Merlin whispered, "And Arthur..."

"Arthur was never destined to die at my hand," Nimueh informed loudly, remembering that she told the prince the same thing when she had him trapped in the dark caves inside the Forest of Balor. "And now, it seems I will be his salvation." Her voice was uncanny and haunting.

Merlin stepped forward, intrigued. "So, you know what I've come to ask?"

"Yes," she grinned.

"Will you do it?" He asked hopefully as his heart leapt from his chest; he had to save Arthur, no matter what the cost.

"I do not have the power to mirror life itself and yet get nothing in return," Nimueh stated keeping her gaze fixed on Merlin as he slowly approached her.

"I know that a price will be asked," Merlin acknowledged, stopping about two feet before her.

"To save a life, there must be a death. The balance of the world must be restored," Nimueh stated threateningly.

Merlin thought for a brief moment. Throughout his journey to the isle he was preparing himself to say these seven words. "I willingly give my life for Arthur's."

Nimueh grinned brightly as his words rang through her ears. "How brave you are, Merlin," she smiled grimly. "If only it were that simple."

"What do you mean?" Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"Once you enter this bargain," Nimueh stated; she kept her blue eyes fixed on Merlin as her head turned away, "it cannot be undone."

Merlin stepped forward. "Whatever I have to do, I will do it," Merlin stated fiercely. "His life is worth a hundred of mine."

Intrigued, Nimueh lifted her hand and reached over the stone table. Then, as she brought her hand toward Merlin, her fingers gripped a golden chalice, one that had not been on the table before. "The Cup of Life," she informed, her voice booming through the isle, "blessed by centuries of powerful sorcery so that it contains the very secret of life itself. If Arthur drinks water from the cup... he will live."

Cautiously, Merlin stepped forward and curled his fingers around the Cup of Life. From that moment, he knew that he was going to die once he returned to Camelot and Arthur's life was redeemed. Kadian would cry; he knew it and he could picture her sobbing above his grave like he was a ghost standing beside her. With a heavy heart, Merlin took the chalice from Nimueh and held it with both hands.

Suddenly, Nimueh lifted her thin arms and sight to the sky as her red lips formed her enchantment, "_Tidrenas!_" Her voice rang through the Isle of the Blessed like an orchestra of bells, calling forth the dark clouds that rolled over the light-grey puffs in the sky. Thunder clapped and it began to rain. Water pooled in the Cup of Life and as the tiny droplets hit the gold, they bounced over the rim. The pool of water was pure and transparent, glistening in the flash of violet lightning that streaked across the darkened sky.

The rain ceased and the dark clouds tumbled away, returning the sky to its depressing grey. Nimueh lowered her arms and took the chalice from Merlin as a silver flask appeared in her hand. Gently and wordlessly, the priestess poured the rain-water from the Cup of Life and into the silver holder, flicking the clasp shut when it was finished. Nimueh held the container out to Merlin and he grasped it firmly, ready to take it and make the long journey to Camelot and death.

Their fingers met and Nimueh grinned and spoke so softly, "The bargain has been struck."

As Merlin turned away with his wet hair plastered to his face as his jacket and tunic soaked, Nimueh grasped his arm, turning him to her once more. "I hope it pleases you," she grinned and relaxed her grip.

Merlin eyes lingered over her dark, beautiful face until it was physically impossible to gaze at her any longer.

-x-

Kadian hunched over with her hand to her chest as a clap of thunder echoed through Camelot after a purple streak of lightening streaked across the grey sky. Her breath had escaped her and her heart had skipped a beat. Her lost breath took its time returning, but her head felt odd and her vision blurred and focused. Something dark had happened far, far away. Evil trickery, perhaps, but the princess was unsure.

Slowly, Kadian straightened herself and gazed out the window; the storm had passed as quickly as it had come. Her reflection stared back at her from its silhouette on the glass. The irises of her eyes were a blue-silver and yet she felt no magic swimming through her veins. It was like she was caught somewhere between using her magic and not. Kadian could not make any sense of it, only that she felt wounded.

-x-

It was the third night since the Questing Beast bit Arthur. The prince's breaths were weak and trembled on his lips before expelling into the air. His pain was great and his head thrashed back and forth as he moaned and groaned, hoping that he would be free from this torture. Beside him with her head resting on her arms was Azura. She twitched in her weak sleep, feeling a disturbance in the balance of the world. It was the first time that she had slept since the attack, but she could not stay awake any longer, no matter how much she desired to continue her vigil.

The door to the prince's chamber creaked open slowly and the king stepped inside, checking in on his dying son. Uther had been cautious to give Azura her time and space when she was with Arthur; he knew how great she was hurting and it hurt him to see her in such a state. Quietly, he walked over and placed and soothing, warm hand on her shoulder, waking her from her light sleep instantly and with a start. "Go, get some rest. I will stay with him," Uther said assuring.

"No... I can't," Azura protested, looking up at the king with a red face and weary, puffy eyes.

Uther, for some reason, smiled at her. "Yes, you can," he said encouragingly and lifted her gently to her feet. "Go. I will watch over him."

Azura looked down at her bare feet as she felt sleepiness try to take over her again. "My lord, you don't understand..." She paused, choosing her next words carefully. "I am used to falling asleep in his embrace."

Uther slowly nodded, but still, he guided her toward the door. "Go to bed. I will watch over him. If there is any change, you will be the first to wake." It felt like she had pierced him through the heart with the look in her eyes when she gazed up at him. Her bright eyes were puffy and red, glossed with her dry tears, full of hope.

-x-

Merlin rode through the night and into the next day without sleep, food or water. His horse did the same and galloped all the way through the White Mountains and the Valley of the Fallen Kings, whose flowers were old and grey when they passed. The trees were doused with daunting shadows that hung across each branch like spider webs waiting to consume him. An eerie haze swerved through the dense trees before him, blocking his gaze of what lay ahead, but he knew that the fog could not conceal his fate from him.

The horse's hooves kicked up the leaves as he made a sharp turn and dashed ahead. Upon the high hill before them sat Camelot, its high walls basking in the grey light that poured in through the thick, grey clouds. As Merlin neared the gates, his eyes went up to a single window on the palace tower, only to be dropped moments later when he remembered that he could not say anything.

Merlin dismounted the horse in the centre of the courtyard, leaving the horse to stand with his bag and supplies still secured to the saddle. He ran up the grand steps and entered the castle, looking both was frantically before racing down the corridor, up a small flight of stairs and passed through a door that was labelled "Court Physician".

Inside, Gaius jumped when his chamber door swung open and banged uproariously against the wall, knocking a shelf over. His eyes widened to see Merlin standing there with a silver container clenched so tightly in his hand it was turning red.

The young warlock stepped forward, part of his hair sticking in the air from being blown back by the window constantly as he travelled. His eyes were wide and above dark circles. Water still soaked his tunic for there was a small shower early that morning. Merlin stepped toward Gaius and handed him the container forcibly. "We need to give this to Arthur," Merlin said rapidly and breathlessly, forcing the container into the physician's hand.

"What is it?" Gaius asked, curiously examining the intricate designs that formed the silver of the container. There was a crooked, winged-beast underneath the clasp.

"Water, drawn from the Cup of Life. If Arthur drinks from it, he will recover. Please hurry!" Merlin exclaimed, pushing the physician toward the open door.

But as the physician neared the door, he stopped.

"What are you waiting for?" Merlin exclaimed frustrated with Gaius' procrastination.

Gaius spun around and pointed at Merlin with a trembling index finger. "Whose life did you bargain?" the physician asked in a dark, nagging tone.

"We don't have time!" Merlin shouted irritated and stormed passed the physician.

-x-

She had seen him return to Camelot and rush into the palace like he was being chased by the immortal army that stormed through the gates of Camelot some time ago. Kadian sighed, half-wishing that Merlin would run into her chamber, after skilfully taking out the demented guard, and embrace her so tightly and kissed her so tenderly that she would forget why she was angry with him. But, no one entered her chamber and the only sound from the corridor was the guard cough and yawning as he tried his hardest to stay awake.

"Please, Merlin, have a cure," she spoke to herself, watching her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes had not returned to the deep blue they always had been. They were mired with silver and she wanted to know why; she wanted to charge into the dungeons and demand an explanation from the Great Dragon.

There was something else behind the magic used to give Ygraine, Uther's late wife, a son. Whatever magic used had touched her had given Kadian her power. There had to be a reason why. This was no accident.

"Please, let me inside!" A voice shouted angrily from the hallway. "I'm warning you. Let me into her chamber!"

Kadian jumped as the door to her chamber swung inward. Morgana rushed into the chamber hysterical with wide eyes and a panicked expression. She took hold of Kadian's shoulders and brought her close. "I've seen terrible... terrible things!" Morgana cried in a wounded voice. "Kadian... there is worse to come."

"Morgana, tell me what you saw," Kadian said, reaching up and embracing her as she walked Morgana over to the bed.

As she waited for Morgana to speak, Kadian glanced over at the open door and the guard that peered inside, anxiously waiting for Morgana to take her leave before his head was put on the chopping block. The door was open; she could make a run for it.

"I saw people dying... I heard people screaming for their lives. There was blood and fire and... and... Kadian, I'm scared..." Morgana started to weep and fell into Kadian's lap. "There's a powerful storm coming to Camelot. I-It will not relent. There's so much darkness, so much hate. No one will be able to escape its jaws... And you..."

Kadian combed her docile fingers through Morgana's raven locks. "Shh... what about me?" she asked softly, glancing over at the guard whose eyes were bugging out of their sockets.

"You... you were talking with the raven... they were dying around you. Uther, Azura, Gaius and the others... Their eyes were like glass, pulling me in to death too. I-I'm scared, Kadian!" the ward cried, gripping the fabric of Kadian's gown and wrinkling it in her tight grasp.

"Shh... Morgana, it was just a nightmare."

-x-

Gaius lurked in the prince's chamber, waiting for the effects of the water to cure the prince. The king was half-asleep with his head resting on his crossed arms; Uther refused to leave Arthur's side. The physician wondered how the king managed to get Azura away from Arthur's side; he thought that it was her doing that kept the prince alive all this time. The candles flickered from their perches around the chamber, brightening the shadowed walls. Already, Gaius noted, colour had returned to the prince's face and his breathing had improved significantly.

Arthur took a deep, long breath and rolled his head to the side as his eyelids slowly pulled back and he gazed up at the ceiling. His mind was a haze and he could not remember or recognize where he was. The last thing he recalled was stalking in the dark caves after the Questing Beast.

"Arthur!" a voice exclaimed and the prince turned his head to see that his father was beside him. Uther glanced over at his shoulder at the physician, "Wake Azura... it's a miracle!"

The prince gazed at his father and at the physician (who bowed his head and left), hoping that something would trigger a memory of what happened. But then, he felt a stinging, burning pain in his chest, side and arm; it was like nothing he had ever felt. Resting his head back against the near-flat pillow, Arthur shut his eyes and took another deep breath, letting the pain slipped away. The fight was over and he was alive.

-x-

As the physician strolled at his merry pace down the corridor, Gaius instructed a guard to wake Azura and tell her that Prince Arthur lived. The corridors were so full a life now; it seemed strange to the physician. Shadows no longer seemed to linger overhead and the torchlight dominated over the corridors, burning as bright as the stars in the night sky. The grey clouds had receded and did not haunt the city.

Slowly, he pulled open the door to his chamber and stepped inside, seeing Merlin look up from his seat. With the door shutting silently behind him, Gaius stared at Merlin who was anxiously waiting to hear one sentence. "The prince lives," Gaius said lowly.

Merlin smiled and combed his fingers through his dark hair as he rose to his feet. On the outside, he was happy and ecstatic, but deep down, Merlin feared what was to come next. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest like it was before his ears. This was it, his last day, maybe his last breath. Was he going to drop dead at any moment?

Gaius walked over to him and rested a firm hand on his shoulder. "Merlin, you know what you should do," he said in a low whisper. "You need to tell Kadian."

"Gaius, I can't face her, not now," Merlin protested, shaking his head.

"Merlin."

-x-

A guard no longer stood before her chamber; the door was wide open, swaying slightly with the gentle breeze that swept in through the open window. Kadian sat before the large, gilt mirror, combing through her hair as she prepared for bed. She counted each time she blinked, hoping that her irises would revert to their normal state and hide her magic; but every time her eyelids pulled back, she stared into the brilliance of silver-blue.

A powerful, doom-stricken force swept through her chamber against the gentle breeze. He stood ghastly in the doorway with his arms trembling at his sides and his eyes watching her hand freeze where it was. There were dark circles lurking underneath his sad eyes. His hair was a wild animal, clawing at the air with sharp curls.

The comb slipped from her grasp and clattered against the floor as she rose to her feet. Her thoughts were wild with everything she desired to say a once, but the look of sadness and pain held her lips where they were.

The image of her standing in her trailing, white nightgown burned into his mind. He wanted to remember her as she was in that moment with her hair neatly combed and straight against his smooth shoulders, and her cheeks flushed scarlet as she stood speechless. He wanted to recall the exact way her eyes shone in the flickering candlelight, a strange blue-purple with the hints of her magic. "Kadian." Her name rolled off of his tongue sharply, like a curse he spoke.

"Merlin." Her voice was sweet and withdrawn, trembling with her uncertainty.

The expression on her face became that of pain when he dropped his daunting gaze to the shadow his body cast onto the floor. His shadow reached out to her dark silhouette, embracing her in the only way he could bare. "Someday, you will find your prince..." He paused; the expression his face held hardened as he gradually lifted his eyes off the floor. Something dark haunted his voice as he continued, "Your _knight in shining ar__mour_, but I can never be him."

His words pierced through her chest sharper than any dagger could. Her step toward him was useless as he retreated into the corridor. "Merlin, what _are _you saying?" Kadian whispered, her voice trembling on her quaking lips.

"This _thing_ that we want, we have is just a lie. It'll _never_ happen," Merlin exclaimed, meeting her broken gaze that shattered further with his putrid words. He could see how susceptible she was to his voice, but he endured the pain her glossy eyes inflicted him. "They'll keep pulling us apart, Kadian, and I can't take it..." The urge to run to her and pull her to him came to him, stopping his lips from saying his finishing statement. Her heart hung loose on its last string and should have plummeted into darkness as his once-warming voice finished, "I can't put _you_ through it."

Like a pasty-face, petrifying ghost, Merlin vanished before Kadian's lips could form a protest.

Staring at the empty, dark corridor severed her heart's last string, sending the beating muscle into darkness until it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. It was like someone took hold of Merlin and scribbled out the truth from his mind. Were false hopes and false dreams better than having none at all? She wanted to cry and scream until she shook the palace's foundation; but her desires, dreams, and hopes were swallowed by the endless abyss that was in place of her heart.

-x-

Arthur lay slightly elevated on his bed. The ugly, blood-stained linen bandages were hidden beneath a tunic that was loose against his bruised flesh. His chamber was clear in his sight now, but his head felt woozy and occasionally, the chamber would spin as his blue eyes danced across the familiar objects. The foul-tasting draught Gaius gave him for his stinging pain had consumed him, leaving a tingling sensation throughout his body.

Uther leaned over the side of the bed, gazing down at his son with the admiration and thankfulness that was foreign to him. "I thought we'd lost you," the king said with a grizzly voice as he placed a gentle, comforting hand on his son's shoulder.

"Don't worry, father, I'm not going to die," Arthur replied. Several of his words were slurred together as his voice escaped his odd-feeling lips. The chamber seemed to spin as the king walked away from his bedside and to the foot of the bed where he rested a dark-gloved hand on the bedpost. "I think there's someone watching over me, keeping me from harm," the prince stated assuring.

Uther turned to him. "Maybe you're right," he stated, raising a bushy eyebrow as a certain, sensible thought came to mind. "On your long journey to become king, you'll need a guardian angel." The way the king spoke wisely made Arthur twist with discomfort as he blinked to focus his eyes.

Arthur smiled at his father's last words. Perhaps, the prince thought, feeling Azura's touch on the back of his hand like she was beside him now with a bright smile that could shame the sun, he had found his guardian angel already.

"I shall inform the court that their prince lives," the king smiled and saw the glint in his son's eye that stretched his smile until his lips hurt.

Azura fell into the king's sight as he turned to leave; she was standing in the doorway in her wispy, elegant nightgown with her toes bare against the chill floor. There had never been a moment that she had given up hope and Uther rested a hand on her shoulder that said everything he wanted silently before he stepped into the corridor.

The sensation throughout his body increased as Arthur sat up further, his eyes falling onto the face of the woman who had stolen his thoughts ever since he had woken from the treacherous darkness. Azura leapt onto the bed silently, wrapping her smooth arms around him and pulling him to her. His head rested against her shoulder, feeling the velvet of her nightgown on his forehead as her shoulder rose and fell with each deep, calming breath she took.

"It's alright," Arthur said as he lifted his head off her shoulder. Gazing into her bright eyes, Arthur saw the tears that pooled. "I'm still here."

Though his body fought against him, Arthur reach up and wiped her tears of joy away before they streamed down her cheek. He pulled her to him as her angelic voice said softly, "I could never be happier."

She lay beside him with her head resting on the left-side of his chest, listening to the rhythm of his thumping heart and counting each beat until she fell asleep with his good arm holding her protectively.

-x-

Thunder woke Kadian from her restless slumber. Sweat tricked down the sides of her face, drenching her messy hair, and left a salty taste on the roof of her mouth. Her tainted eyes stared across the shadowed chamber where several candles sparked to life without the princess saying or speaking a single word. The flames flickered from deep red to orange to red again until finally, the flames settled for a dark orange and crackled on the charred wicks.

The window trembled on its hinges as rain poured down of it like millions of tiny nails falling point-first against the glass. Kadian jumped as thunder roared through Camelot.

Another nightmare haunted her mind. The dream was mired with the blood and the screams of the people she cared about deeply and whom she would gladly die for. Morgana's voice echoed through the shadows of the chamber in a never-ending, overlapping orchestra. When Morgana saw the future, the ward was always correct; and for the first time, Kadian was scared for what was to come.

-x-

Outside as the rain poured against the ground, turning the dirt into thick mud, a cloak woman stumbled into the city, holding her hood tight to her face as she passed the posted guards. The guards stepped back as she passed. In the flashes of the purple, crooked lightning, the guards saw what she hid beneath the hood of her tattered cloak.

Through the vacant, wet and dirty streets she went, passed the inn and tavern until she reached the drenched doors of the palace. She climbed the ghastly steps and descended down narrow corridors until she reached a sealed door by which a wooden slate was inscribed with "Court Physician".

She rasped a shaky, deformed hand against the door that pushed open with her rasping. A shrill moan escaped her lips as she stumbled into the dark chamber.

A hollow sound of the woman collapsing woke the court physician from his dreamless sleep.

-x-

Merlin woke with a start the following morning, his fingers grasping the grey rabbit's foot in his right hand. Gaius had given him the charm the morning he journeyed to the Isle of the Blessed. Cold, morning air filled his lungs as his lips parted to take in a deep breath. It took him several moments to realize, but when he did, he leapt to his feet with his heart pounding against his ribs. Rushing from his chamber, Merlin exclaimed with his voice cheerful, "Gaius! I'm alive...!"

The physician was crouched on the floor, hovering over the curled body, shattering Merlin's moment of happiness. "Stay back, Merlin," Gaius warned, glancing over at his nephew; there was no surprise in his eyes to see him alive.

"What happened?" Merlin stalked forward, disregarding the physician's warning. As his eyes fell upon the sight of the boils and coarse skin of the woman who lay on the floor, Merlin's fingers released the rabbit's foot, letting it fall against the dusty floor. Nothing surprised Merlin more than the face that was hidden beneath the repulsing boils. "Mother?" His voice cracked and trembled on his lips.

"Merlin..." Hunith groan weakly as she wheezed and struggled for breath.

-x-

Her soft, delicate hands were folded at her centre as she strolled through the corridor. Occasionally, her fingers were coil around her skirt only to let the fabric fall. Kadian had gone to see her brother that morning, for the first time since he was prey to the Questing Beast. She smiled as she saw him awake and well with Azura curled up beside him, head against his chest and sleeping like an angel. Little words passed between her and her brother.

It was sweet relief to be set free from her prison; there was no longer a need to protect her from any danger and to assure that there was an heir to the throne. It may have been a cowardly, arrogant action by her father, but Kadian was free now. Her mind swam with other matters; Merlin being her main concern. Despite how hard she tried and the headache that beat against her skull, Kadian could not shake his name from her thoughts. _He must be dead now,_ she thought, gripping her skirt again and letting it fall back to the floor where the pieces of her broken heart lay.

The sound of angry footsteps froze her in mid-step and she held her breath as her eyes stared ahead. Merlin raced down a flight of stairs and stormed passed her. Were her eyes deceiving her? "Merlin?" Her voice did not reach his ears over the heavy stomping of his feet and he vanished around the corner.

The door to the court physician's chamber was ajar from being thrown open by Merlin in an outrage. Kadian slipped into the chamber soundlessly and knocked on the wood as she passed through the doorway, wanting to quell the rattling questions in her thoughts. "Gaius?" she called into the chamber, her eyes jumping from object to object in search of the physician's white hair.

The physician looked up from his bench with a start. "Kadian, how can I be of service?" He glanced over at the sealed door that led to Merlin's bedroom.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but..." She paused, meeting Gaius' weary gaze as came from across the chamber. She felt her chest tighten like a poison had closed up her lungs and she fought for the words to come out. "Why isn't Merlin dead?" she asked and crossed her arms at her chest. A moan of agony escaped from Merlin's chamber, drawing Kadian's attention away from the physician who fumbled over his words to answer her. "Who's in there?" She asked.

Slowly, Gaius rose to his elderly feet and walked across the chamber to rest a soft, soothing hand on Kadian's shoulder. His eyes were wounded as he met her gaze. "Hunith," he said grimly, shifting his gaze away. "She is very ill; it is not a normal illness. I cannot cure her. What hap-" He finally noticed the altercation of the colour of her irises. They were exotic with the silver hues mixed with the sapphire shade that she shared with Uther and Arthur.

"Thank you, Gaius..." She took a long breath before she finished, "for everything." With her eyes to the floor, Kadian spun on the balls of her feet and exited the physician's chamber, ridding her ears of the painful moans of the woman who believed Kadian was perfect for her son, Merlin.

The door was wide open, swaying in the wind, and called for her to pass through it; it was the only way to save everyone prophesied to die at her own hand. There was no alternative. Kadian would not waste her time going to seek the Great Dragon for advice like Merlin was; she knew that was where his heavy, angry boots were taking him.

She entered her chamber and gazed around lost for only a moment. From beneath her bed, she retrieved her twin blades; from the cupboard, she backed a fresh tunic and leggings; and from the far corner of her chamber, she grabbed hold of her bag and shoved all items messily into it.

There was only silence in her mind as she looked up from her sloppy pack and turned toward the stationary desk that rested against the opposite wall. She slowly walked to her desk and pulled out a roll of parchment, a quill, and an ink well from the single drawer on the right side. Lifting the white-feathered quill into her hand, Kadian wrote across the parchment with her penmanship scratchy and ridged.

Placing the tip of the quill into the ink well, Kadian sat back in the chair and read the single line she wrote on the parchment over and over again, wondering whether it said what she wanted.

-x-

Merlin raced down the glowing amber steps and into the dark cavern beneath the palace. The Great Dragon had been expecting him; he sat proudly upon his throne of fallen rock with his great wings folded at his sides. His claws gripped the rumbled before him, snapping the rocks like twigs. He stared down at the young warlock, the whipping torchlight swimming in his eyes; he could sense the anger that boiled Merlin's blood.

"You knew this would happen!" Merlin shouted; his eyes fiercely glared at the dragon and he gritted his teeth. "You had me trade my mother's life for Arthur's!"

With his breath harsh and vile, the dragon lifted his massive skull. "You said you would do anything," he said wisely; his lips formed a faint grin.

"Did you know my mother would die?" Merlin said weakly, his voice heavy with pain and betrayal; he pointed the torch accusingly at the dragon.

The dragon moved his head down, looking sternly into the warlock's dark eyes. "I knew the price would be a heavy one."

"But you sent me anyway." Merlin did not move his stare from the dragon; he felt betrayed like the dragon had dug his razor sharp claws into his back.

Justifying his cause, the dragon said calmly, "We need Arthur to live." His amber eyes stayed with Merlin's watching his emotions swim uncontrollably and boil together.

"I'm not one of you!" Merlin growled, his voice echoing like thunder through the cavern, rattling the hanging stones with his rage.

The Great Dragon huffed and a cloud of smoke escaped from his golden lips after a series of golden spark licked off his barbed tongue. "We are both creatures of the Old Religion. It is the source of your power," he stated slowly with his voice ringing with the old knowledge he possessed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Merlin was done with listening to riddle after riddle; he wanted the answer to his question, not a path to find it himself.

"Your destiny is to protect the young Pendragon until he claims his crown." The dragon pointed a finely curved claw at Merlin. He flexed his raised paw and rested it against his throne again with the stone crumbling underneath its weight. His split eyes narrowed and his voice was like a hiss as he continued, "And when he does, magic can be returned to the realm." His voice grew with his true reasons and the hiss tainted with his hatred. "Only then can I be free."

Merlin stared at the dragon and slowly his head nodded as his eyes grew wide with the Great Dragon's true intentions. "Oh, I see," he said suspiciously; he turned as if he was to leave, dropping the dragon's intense stare. But, he turned, laughing at his foolishness. "So that's all you cared about. I thought you were my friend."

"It is not me who you should be suspicious of, Merlin," the dragon growled, baring his sharp, yellow teeth. "I am your kin."

"No! The only family I have is my mother, and you had me murder her!" Merlin voice carried his haled rage through the cavern; he paid no mind to the dragon's first words, his brannigan was with the dragon and no one else.

The dragon inhaled a shrill breath that sounded like a soft hiss. "Her life has not been taken in vain." He felt no remorse or sympathy for Merlin's loss, his mind was driven toward his release. The chain on his leg rattled as he spread out his wings as a warning. He leaned toward the warlock, who grimaced at the stench of his breath, "We will achieve great things together, you and I."

"YOU WILL NEVER BE RELEASED!" Merlin shouted, whipping the torch before him; the embers cracked and snapped in the heated air violently. Then, his voice was low and uncanny, dark and sadistic, "For what you've done, I'll make sure you never see the light!"

The dragon's eyebrows crunched together, the spikes flexing his with rage. "MERLIN!" His voice boomed through the cavern, sending the hanging stones plummeting to the darkness below. He took a harsh, hasty breath. He parted his lips and opened his mighty jaw, the rows of his razor teeth glinting scarlet. A raging, golden inferno burst from the depth of his stocky build.

As the voracious tongues of the golden flames came toward him in a fiery fury, Merlin raised a hand and hissed an enchantment that cloaked him in an impenetrable shield. The flames slammed against the shield and Merlin flinched; he almost lost the concentration to hold the shield, but he stood his ground and met the dragon's eyes when the inferno ended in glowing, grey smoke.

Merlin lowered his hand and his shield vanished. He stared up at the dragon; his heart was thumping loudly in his chest and his breaths were heavy with tiredness. "You...won't see me...again," he panted, face illuminated threateningly by the amber torchlight. He turned sharply and walked out of the cavern.

The Great Dragon roared behind him and reached forward with his jaws, only to taste the hot air on his tongue.

-x-

Arthur sat propped up against the headboard of his bed while Azura sat with him. The hearth burned magnificently in the darkness; she had seen it day in and day out as he lay there for days, arm pressed against his torso in a dirty, linen sling, torn apart by the vicious claws of the Questing Beast. He could feel her warmth through his tunic. He smiled and stroked her silky hair with his hand.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Arthur asked her softly. The aged timbers creaked as he set himself higher on the bed and adjusted his sling.

Dumbfounded, Azura stared up at him with her bright-blue eyes holding the reflection of the crackling fire. Had he heard her speak? Those words she said had been meant for the dead. "What do you mean?" she stammered.

"I remember hearing your voice, but I can't for the life of me remember what you said..." He paused to wince; his wounds pained him. She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he folded his hand around hers, took a slow, deep breath, and opened his eyes to meet her gaze as he continued softly, "then, you stopped." He felt his heart leap from his chest when her gaze slipped from his and to the burning timbers. "Come on, Azura."

She moved a little, manoeuvring herself to face him completely. Azura met his gaze, examining how the amber firelight danced in his eyes. "I love you," she said softly.

Arthur smiled, watching as her cheeks burned crimson with her embarrassment. Those three tiny words, the same words he had imagined her saying over and over in his dreams, sounded different, possibly insignificant in her voice like there was something deeper she longed to say. He placed his hands on her flushed cheeks, staring deeply into her eyes. His movements stretched his torn flesh, but he did not cringe; he would willingly endure this somatic pain.

"I love you too," he whispered warmly, closing the distance between their faces. Ever so gently, his nose brushed against hers as their lips grew nearer. "Was there something else?" he breathed.

"No." Her soft, alluring voice rolled quickly over her lips and cut the word crisply; there was no room for argument.

There was a certain, awkward silent that fell upon them, but it seemed to fade away like everything else when they stared into each other's eyes. Arthur could count the times her exhale passed over her crimson lips and caressed his flustered face.

Then, he sat back, cupping her cheek in his hand as he whispered, "Don't move." There was something that prevented him from laying his lips on hers, a sole question that held his trembling lips where they were; a burden, perhaps, that lanced him like no spear could. He forced himself to his feet, grimacing at the pain it sent through his body, and reached for something on the night table.

Before Azura could utter a sound protesting his movement, Arthur turned and dropped down to one knee, holding something in his hands that glistened in the amber firelight. It was round, golden band with a stunning, aquamarine stone staring with teardrop diamonds beside its sparkling face. His eyes beamed with his underlying emotions that made his heart want to explode in his chest. His voice was gentle and filled with hope as he released the burden that staked his heart, "Will you marry me?"

-x-

In the morning as the pale dawn light pooled into his bedroom, Merlin woke and stared up at the ceiling; his back ached from sleeping on the floor. His mother was sleeping uneasily in his bed with her breaths shrill wheezes; the sound lanced his ears and his heart lurked as he realized what day it was: it was the day he was to die. Stiffly, he rose to his feet and pulled on his worn boots; they did not warm his frozen toes.

He turned and set his weary eyes on the unsettled face of his mother; his stomach twisted at the wretched sight of the boils and pockets of white puss on her face. Approaching the bedside, Merlin pulled a small trinket from his pocket; it was the grey rabbit's foot Gaius had given to him. He held it tightly between his fingers, feeling the soft fur against his dry skin. Then, he placed the charm in his mother's sickening hand and gently coiled her fingers around it.

His voice was soft and he felt tears well in his eyes and cascade down his cheeks. "I know that the gods will look after me and that one day, I will see you again." Hesitantly, he let her hand fall from his and he wiped away his tears; this was a journey he must face. He took his bag from the corner and exited his chamber with one last glance over his shoulder.

Gaius was sitting before his bench with an owl-feather quill in his hand as he wrote across a sheet of aged parchment. His eyes met Merlin's as he came down the stairs in a gloom like a storm cloud lingered above his head and drenched him with a never-ending downpour. "There's a letter for you," he said calmly and motioned with the feather of his quill to the small table across the way. "It was there when I woke this morning."

Curiously, Merlin approached the small table and lifted the letter into his hands. Across it read _Merlin_ in rigid penmanship. Slowly, he opened the folded parchment. There was a single line inscribed in the centre of the page: _I love you_.

He stared up with absent eyes, the three words swimming in his forefront of his mind. They were undoubtedly Kadian's words. She had always been there for him when she should not have been; she always let him lean against her and he never refused to hold her in his arms; and now, it seemed, she cared about him far more than she cared for herself or any other.

Merlin's mouth grew dry and his heart slowed until it was weakly giving him life. How could he have been so selfish and naive?

"What is it, Merlin?" Gaius wondered, raising a white eyebrow.

"No." Merlin stated angrily and raced out of the chamber, crumbling the piece of parchment in his hand.

-x-

The journey was a long and quiet with only the serenade of the earth to fill her ears. Kadian drew her cloak around her as a harsh, bitter wind howled; she spurred the horse onward and down the grassy slope. In the stables of Camelot, Kadian did not saddle the horse that belonged to her; she secured the bridle to Starlust, Azura's snow-white mare that she claimed was the fastest horse alive. Starlust was, indeed, the swiftest horse Kadian had ever ridden.

In the far distance, Kadian could see a vast, sapphire lake hidden beneath a thick layer of mist; and jutting from the mist were the ancient ruins of the Isle of the Blessed. It would not be long now.

The trees were thickening around her, drowning in heavy, black shadows that hissed strange, dark words into her ears; Kadian shivered and took a deep breath. When she exhaled, her breath formed a thin, grey cloud before her and caressed her face as Starlust trotted forward.

Eventually, she came to an old, wooden dock that swayed with the rough waters. There was a musky scent of damp moss and clover in the air. After tethering Starlust to a tree, though she realized that she would not come back to collect her, Kadian stepped onto the dock; it creaked eerily underneath her and its aged timbers squealed with stress.

An old, weathered boat rested in the shallows with a tattered, black flag billowing at the bow. Hesitantly, Kadian stepped into the boat and sat quickly as it threatened to roll over. "_Astyre_." Her voice was soft; she pulled her cloak tightly around her and sat quietly as the boat strolled forward and into the thick mist.

Soon, the high, cracked stone walls of the Isle surrounded her on all sides. A terrace stretched across the leaf-caked water; ivy vines snaked up the crevasses of the dark stones; and the once high towers lay as crumbled and weathered rock. Kadian gripped the edge of her seat as the boat came to a stop beside a narrow alcove. Inhaling the cold air, Kadian stepped into the alcove and climbed the haunting steps.

The wide courtyard lay before her, glistening with fresh water droplets. In the centre sat the stone table, carved with intricate designs along its edges; upon it sat a golden chalice, the Cup of Life. Her heart was racing as her tired, frozen feet carried her further; she did not want to die, but it was the only way to save the lives of the people she loved the most.

"My, my, first the warlock and now his witch," an uncanny voice hissed on the crisp wind. A pair of steel blue eyes stared deep into Kadian's very soul. The slim figure of a woman was before her, dressed in a simple, wine-red gown; Nimueh grinned. "I never thought I'd see you here."

"I'm full of surprises, Nimueh; not unlike you," Kadian breathed; Nimueh's eyes pierced through her like two, double-edged blades. "Merlin intends to trade his life for that of his mother's; I want you to take my life in his place."

Nimueh cackled. "With all my powers of prediction, I would have never have guessed this," she said amused. "But what I do see..." She paused as her eyes went absent and her breath was caught with a shrill inhale. Then, her luscious red lips curved into a grin. "I see Camelot crumbling beneath you. Why would I..."

"Because you took my mother from me, priestess," Kadian sneered; the wind kissed her soft face and she shivered at its cold bite. "I will gladly sacrifice my life for Merlin, for Hunith, and everyone who would suffer. You gave me this power, and you will take it from me."

"So valiant you are, Kadian, but are you sure you wish to die?" Nimueh took a step toward Kadian who nodded. The priestess raised a soft hand and gently caressed Kadian cheek. "You had so much potential, pity."

-x-

Merlin could hear the vile words of Nimueh's enchantment from across the lake; he had ridden without rest through the night and had somehow managed to reach the Isle faster than he had his previous journey.

"_Ic, seo heahsacerd, the acwelle strengthe ealdan__ aewfaestnesse_!" Nimueh incanted; her spooky, nerve-racking voice echoed throughout the crumbling walls of the Isle of the Blessed. In her hands was the Cup of Life; she held the shining gold chalice above the motionless, limp Kadian whose cloak was drawn across her face.

"STOP!" Merlin shouted as he burst into the courtyard; his eyes widened and his lips trembled as he saw Kadian lying beside the stone table, unmistakably dead at Nimueh's feet.

Startled, Nimueh turned her steel blue eyes onto Merlin, glaring at him for his rude interruption of her work. She lowered the chalice slowly and rested it upon the flat surface of the table. With graceful strides, she approached Merlin with her eyes beaming in the grey light. "Back so soon, warlock?" she asked grimly; her skirt skimmed across Kadian's body and fell to the grass.

"What have you done?" Merlin stated in a low, grizzly voice; he felt his heart shattered as he lifted his eyes from Kadian and stared into the dark, tainted soul of Nimueh.

"You mother is safe," Nimueh stated; she met Merlin's dark stare and returned it with that of her own. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

There seemed to be a lump stuck in Merlin's throat as he choked over his words, "Have you killed her?" He tried to hide the pain the words inflicted him, but he felt his eyes swelling with water; he could have prevented this.

"It was her wish." Nimueh stopped her approached and cocked her head to the side, watching as Merlin turned away. A hole had replaced her heart ages before; she felt no pity for what she had done.

Merlin stared down at the emerald grass beside his worn boots; his lips were quivering and his heart's rataplan was heavy and roaring inside his chest. He looked up at Nimueh; his eyes were cloaked in sombre shadows and were without hue. As sad as he was, his bottled anger took control of his limbs and his mind. "How could you take her life? I bargained MY life for Arthur's, not Kadian's!" He growled fiercely and clenched fists at his sides.

"The Old Religion does not care who lives or dies! Only that the balance of the world is restored!" Nimueh spat; the creases of her face darkened as her lips formed her heated words. She softened her voice and let her words flow over her crimson lips calmly. "To save a life, a life must be taken." She turned her head away and glanced over at Kadian with a grin. "Kadian knew this and yet she did not care. So much for true love."

Merlin gritted his teeth and his eyebrows scrunched together. "You have done this, not the Old Religion! You took something you so despised and erased it! Bring her back!" He yelled, nearly pleading; the shadows over his eyes darkened and his nostrils flared like an angry bull.

She grinned darkly and set her eyes on Merlin again, piecing him apart. "Come, now. We are too valuable to each other to be enemies." Her voice was slow and indifferent, twisting around every syllable to persuade Merlin to go against himself.

"NO!" Merlin growled, throwing his arms into the air. He stalked forward two steps; his breaths were heated and weighted, fiercely exhaling over his burning lips.

"With my help, Arthur will become King," Nimueh said with her voice slowly rolling off her vile tongue. Her white teeth shone through her heinous grin and her eyes beamed beneath her thin, brown eyebrows.

"I will make Arthur King," Merlin shot back viciously; he grinned and let his anger swim through his veins alongside his boiling blood. He stared venomously at Nimueh as his voice said softly and assuring, "But you will never see that day." Raising his right hand swiftly, he threw a wild stream of amber lightning with a single, hasty enchantment, "_Astrice_!"

Nimueh raised her left hand in a flash and Merlin's attack vanished as the jagged bolts of lightning met her hand. "Your childish tricks are useless against me, Merlin," Nimueh sneered; she moved her fine hand in a circle and amber embers snapped before her flesh, forming an orb of voracious, whipping tongues of fire. "I am a priestess of the Old Religion. _Forbearne_!" She threw the orb forward with a strong, swift thrust of her arm.

Merlin had no choice but to dive out of the way; the orb was soaring through the air too rapidly for him to think of a counter-spell. The orb crashed against a stone wall, crushing the rock and sending small bits into the air ablaze. Merlin landed roughly on the ground; a fiery projectile barely missed the top of his head while several others scorched his brown jacket. He pushed himself to his feet and stared intensely at Nimueh.

Then, his eyes fell upon the lifeless Kadian beside the stone table; he missed the words that Nimueh spoke to him, showing him a courteous mercy that she gave to few. In his mind, he could hear Kadian's cute laugh that always made him smile, no matter his mood; he could taste her in his mouth like he had just kissed her tenderly; and right then, he longed to have her lying in his arms with her head resting against his chest listening to his soothing heartbeat.

Nimueh gripped Merlin's attention once more with the words, "You should join me."

"NEVER!" Merlin growled.

"So be it. _Akwele_!" Nimueh launched a second orb of fire at Merlin.

There was less time to reaction; this orb had the intent to kill. As he went to jump out of the way, the orb hit him square in the chest with a hollow thud that boomed through the isle like thunder. He collapsed onto his back with his tunic burned through to his skin; the wound stung and he could feel his blood drip down the sides of his torso.

His eyelids came together over his dark blue eyes; he fought to endure the pain, but it was too much for a mere servant to handle. The pain in his face subsided and his head lobbed to the side until he was seemingly dead without a single, involuntary motion; his fingers stood stiff in the position they had been with palms toward the sky; the wind tossed his feet to the side and carried away the smoke that rose from the singed tunic.

Nimueh moved to tower above him, her eyes swimming with utter disappointment. "Pity," she said softly. "Together, we could have ruled the world." She turned, sweeping her bold eyes across Merlin, and walked away to finish what needed to be done.

Merlin took a soft breath; his eyelids parted suddenly and he stared up at the grey sky, cast in dreary clouds that lingered before the sun. He rose to his feet silently, watching as Nimueh sauntered over to Kadian, _his_ Kadian. Rage was scribbled across his face; shadows were cast over his eyes by his furrowed brow; and his lips were curved into a disgruntled frown. "You should not have killed her," he snarled uncannily. He raised his right hand to the sky.

Nimueh slowly turned at the sound of his dark, mysterious voice; she thought him to be dead. The clouds began to tumble over each other, darkening to an ominous black; thunder bellowed across the sky and echoed hollowly through the Isle; and lightning snapped across the clouds in a magnificent flash of very soft, periwinkle. Her eyes widened in awe.

Merlin gradually lowered his outstretched hand and pointed it at Nimueh; a long, crooked streak of lightning fell from the clouds, piercing Nimueh in the chest. She twisted and twitched as the electricity swam through her; her head was thrown back and her raven locks lashed the air for the last time. With her hands raised to the sky, Nimueh exploded. And as her magic died with her flying pieces, a high-pitched screech squealed.

Turning away, Merlin shielded his eyes with his arm for the light was too bright for his eyes to watch Nimueh die. Once the screeching died with Nimueh, Merlin stood straight and lowered his arm. It began to pour and thunder clapped above his head.

His heart began to thump wildly; he ran to Kadian, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. Her cloak had fallen from her face, it looked like porcelain in the flashes of light; her eyes were closed, hiding her beautiful irises from him; and her once warm, pink lips were cold as ice and turning blue. "Kadian!" he cried weakly as the rain beat upon his neck like nails.

Tears swam down his eyes, mingling with the streaming rain; he choked on his breaths and his heart lurked in a strange pain. All he had wanted was to protect her, save her from the pain that would come; but he had failed miserably for he held her, dead, in his arms. He stroked her wet hair and brushed it away from her delicate face.

Everything he stood for meant nothing to him now. He wished that Nimueh's orbs had killed him; save him the torture of the guilt he would live with for all eternity. His life was pointless now, he thought; even his great destiny was nothing. Oh, what he would give to see that bright smile and the glimmer in her eyes as the sunlight kissed her face. He sobbed hard, burying his face into her hair that still held a faint scent.

"Merlin..." a faint voice croaked through the heavy beat of the rain. _Merlin__..._"

Merlin lifted his head and stared dumbfounded at Kadian's soft face. "Kadian?" he whispered, sniffling.

There was colour in her face, faint as it was, but there nonetheless; her cheeks were branded crimson and her soft, alluring lips were a lush pink. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath that was warm against Merlin's cold, damp tunic. "Mer_lin_." Her voice slowly crawled over her thawing lips.

"Kadian, it's me," he said as he sniffled and shivered at the touch of the rain. "I'm here, Kadian. I'm here."

"Wha..." She took a slow breath. "What did y-you do?" She stammered; her body shivered and her lips trembled violently.

Merlin tightened his hold on her; he tried to pull his jacket around her, but it was only meant for one person. Kissing her temple and rubbing his hands up and down her thin, numb arms, Merlin smiled and whispered. "Nimueh's dead."

He reached up with a gentle hand and caressed her cold cheek, wiping away the rain as it beaded against her pale skin. With his hand warm against her face, Kadian opened her eyes and saw nothing but the sleeve of his soaked jacket. Merlin smiled when she lifted her eyes to his face, inadvertently moving out of his warming hold. "The balance of the world is restored," he said softly, nearly breathless as he met her absent gaze; he noticed the change in her eyes, the faint, yet conspicuous silver mingling with her sapphire irises. "Kadian?"

All she could do was stare up at him, his face dripping with little droplets of cold rain and his hair black as night against his brow. There was no recognition of where she was or what she had been doing; it was all a complete, fuzzy blur. Lying beside him in his captivating arms that gave her seldom warmth made her curious; she remembered their quarrel and little else. How long ago had that been? Hours? Days? Weeks?

"Kadian?" Merlin repeated loudly as he stared intensely into her eyes; she knew what he saw.

"Nimueh..." Kadian drifted away and was swept off in her thoughts again. She tried hard to recollect her missing memories, but she had no luck. _The balance of the world..._ she thought wondrously, averting his stare. _Life and death._ "You? You mastered the power over life and death?" Her voice was normal, possibly sarcastic in a humorous way that made him smile and chuckle.

"There's hope for me yet." He kissed her lips softly.

Kadian heart raced a million miles a minute. She shivered as the rain water slid smoothly down her back. Reluctance came over her lips and he sensed it and withdrew, watching her curiously. Dumbfounded, Kadian blinked and stammered, "M-Merlin."

A heavy sigh parted his lips and the exhale was hot against her frozen nose. "I'm sorry," he breathed. "Sorry for everything. What I did was unforgivable. I can only imagine what it did to you..." he paused; his gaze met her altered eyes again and he felt his heart get lanced when she slipped her eyes from his. "I didn't want..." The train of thought vanished through a dark, never-ending tunnel and he was lost for words. "I couldn't..." He frowned and sunk his shoulders, giving up for he knew it was a lost cause.

"Merlin."

"No, no, wait. You're the princess and I'm just... I'm just a servant."

"_Me__rlin_."

"Alright, I'm not _just_ a servant, perhaps an in-disguised all-powerful warlock... who can't get one thing straight. Here I go again, brain all-faulty and... and..." His babbling made a grin appear on Kadian's face; he was the same old Merlin.

He took a deep, slow breath. He found as the days went by since they first met, that day in the bazaar after Arthur had swept him, literally, into the street, that every time he tried to tell her how he felt, the feeling was but one, simple phrase he never dared to speak. Perhaps it was his guilty conscience that gave him the courage; or was it stupidity? "I love you."

Kadian did not know if it was the bitter touch of the rain or that she was caught off-guard. Whatever it was, it made her voice fumble and struggle to come up with something to reply. Those three words were the same words she had used to say goodbye; she remembered now, why she had come to the Isle of the Blessed, to sacrifice herself in his place. However, she could not help but wonder if there had been another reason. Nonetheless, it was the power of unity that kept them together, for better or for worse.

She could not manage to get her tongue to form the same three words, but she managed to make eight that basically said the same thing, but in her own, roundabout way. "Can you stop the rain?" Kadian asked, treating him to a short peck on the lips before saying, "_My_ 'all-powerful' warlock."

He smiled.

-x-

A beautiful dawn illuminated the sky when they returned to Camelot. The sky was the colour of newly-blossomed pink carnations; the clouds were pale tangerine; and the sun was peering over the horizon, pooling gold over the trees and far hills. There was darkness on this magnificent morning, and it waited for Merlin and Kadian impatiently at the tall gates.

Uther Pendragon, the King of Camelot, stood with his guard; his eyes were dark and his brow was furrowed. The vein on his neck was bulging against his burning face. "Seize them."

-x-

The Great Dragon roared into the darkness of his cavern, whipping out his massive wings. Violent gales slammed against the rock walls and shook the hanging stones from the ceiling. His talons lashed the air and a fiery inferno escaped his powerful jaws, burning the cold air.

-x-

Morgana woke with a start. A shrill cry escaped her startled lips. Her raven hair fell before her face giving her a dark, sinister appearance. The Dragon's roar reached her chamber, but that was not what woke her. There was worse to come, she saw it for the utmost time; and the worst was rapidly approaching and would blind-side them all. Death and despair was written all across her chamber walls, the ceiling, everything. _Dreams are not for the faint hearted_, she thought grimly.

-x- 

**THE END**


	15. Insider's Scoop

There's something strange in the neighbourhood, who are you gonna call? "_MERLIN!_"

-x-

**Blooper Conversations:**

_Kadian and Arthur are discussing Azura._

Kadian: "Azura doesn't eat meat."

Arthur: "Mmhm."

_Merlin goes to seek the Great Dragon's advice._

Dragon says a riddling reply.

Merlin: "Um, I don't know about you, but I speak English. Can you try again?"

_Merlin is in the stocks and Kadian goes to visit him._

Kadian: "What did you do this time, Merlin?"

Merlin: "I… I'm not really sure this time. Uther took one look at me and _wham!_ I was here."

_Kadian and Uther are having the tense dinner in The Beginning of the End._

Uther: "I am glad that you have seen sense."

Kadian: "And I see you still haven't, you arrogant crone."

_Gaius and Azura during The Cathedral of Válnak._

Gaius: "You know, I may have to applaud the person who manages to kill you."

Azura: "Me too. Only, I'd take the wanker with me."

_Uther is confused by the happenings in Camelot._

Uther: "Who could've done this?"

Knight: "Oh geez, I have no clue."

Uther: "It was magic!"

Knight: "How do you know?"

Uther: "It just is."

-x-

**Sneak Peak**

Everyone is back for an amazing book two. From lashes to ashes, this story has it all. The dragon, despised for his greed and hatred for Uther Pendragon, still holds true to his prophecy of the two doors. But now they are labelled: _Life_ and _Death_. There will come a time where one person will walk through death, and the other will walk through life. Only which door calls to Azura and which calls to Kadian?

Practising magic is harder then ever once Merlin discovers his fears have come true. The gate around Kadian are locked and he stands before them with his arm reaching for her.

The path to becoming king is one that twists, turns and loops in circles until it will drive Arthur Pendragon mad. He does not know what is reality and what is a dream. Eagerly waiting for an answer, he swears that nothing will ever keep him and Azura apart. Only, the Fates have other plans for their relationship.

Old faces return, friend and foe, and some new ones too, who bear both good news and bad.

With all the madness falling around Camelot like raining balls of fire, everyone is oblivious to the evil that lurks within the shadows, a tortured soul who will meet the one person who will give him or her the teachings to take his or her vengeance.

Nevertheless, the citizens of Camelot must fear the most dangerous power of all. It is a power so great that not even its caster can control it. When the fires are lit and the drums sound, they all know what to blame: Tainted Magic.

((Digital Cookie for whoever can spot the Doctor Who reference))


End file.
